I'm From West Virginia and I'm Not Stupid

I'm from West Virginia and I'm happy to be. Just because life operates at a slower pace around here doesn't mean my brain does, too. I know how the world works and what makes the world work. And if there's anything I don't know, I'm capable of learning it just like you.

I spent nine months in my mother's womb just like you did. My parents taught me how to walk and talk just like yours did. I also started school as soon as I could just like you did. I read books just like you did. I learned how to use a computer and ride a bike, just as I'm assuming you did.

And as I got older, I went through changes just as you did. I grew distant from childhood friends like I'm sure you did. My body went through changes and I started developing crushed on my classmates just like you did.

I hung out with friends on the weekends like you did. I bet I even listened to the same music as you did. I had hobbies just like you did. I probably even played the same sports as you did.

The only difference is that I wasn't raised to judge people based off of where they're from or for anything for that matter. If anything, I learned that where a person was from was just part of that extra touch of what it was that made them special.

Truly think about what makes someone from West Virginia automatically ignorant. To condemn someone for being from a certain place, which is something they have no control over, is ignorant. To place a whole group of people into such a stereotype is ignorant.

So because you come here from the city and you're bored, suddenly my home and my people are the problem? You might want to look inward. There's a reason why we can so easily adapt to our environment and yours and it's not just because there's more to do where you're from.

West Virginians spend lots of time in nature. The peace and quiet of our secret serenities makes for plenty of time to just sit and think. And that could be about anything from why certain things happen in nature to what our true purpose is in life. We are capable of putting together an entire business plan while we're relaxing during a fishing trip. We are capable of having meaningful conversations as we hike up and down steep trails.

We are capable of coming up with many great ideas and reaching strong intellectual conclusions simply by being so in tune with nature and taking time to think. We are capable.

There's a lot more thought going on around here than many people would assume. My assumption is that the people that make these judgements "enjoy" busy, city lives where they don't have much time to think.

Either way, I'm from West Virginia and I'm proud.