See that flag up there?? I love that flag!! I remember when I was a kid looking at that flag and wondering what the Pilgrims were doing on it! Now, as an adult I look at it and just feel the importance of the heritage that I was so blessed to be born into. Those to funny looking pilgrim dudes are actually representations of West Virginia's most popular ways of life, farming and coal mining. I'm not sure I've ever met a West Virginian who didn't have a farmer or a coal miner in their family, and most, like me, have both. It's funny, to people outside of the state the professions of mining and farming seem to have a negative connotation. Here, at home though we take such pride in doing things they way they have always been done. When I plant flowers in my flower bed, I use the same tools that my grandpa used in his garden when I was growing up. We here in West Virginia have a pride in our state that is seldom seen, (though my friends from Texas say they feel the same about there home state.) I've never known a place where a person's identity is defined by where they were raised like we do here.
Over the last few years there has been added attention focused on coal mining as a result of accidents like Sago, Aracoma, and Crandal Canyon. People look at the apparent dangers of coal mining and wonder why anyone in there right mind would do such a thing in today's modern world. Surely there is a better way to mine coal than to send men (and now women) into the middle of a mountain. Truth is, there is not a better way and while most of us here are accustom to this way of life, we are not blind to the dangers. We do what we do to maintain a way of life. A way of life that gives us the ability to live in this beautiful state and still afford the luxuries available in more populated areas. Like most hard working Americans, coal miners take extreme pride in what they do. They work hard every day, just like their fathers and grandfathers did to ensure that when we flip a little switch by the door the lights come on!
So bring on the "hillbilly" jokes, we think they are funny! Laugh if you must, but I love it here. I love the beautiful mountains that surround me every day and keep me safe from floods, tornado's, and hurricanes. I love driving down a random road and having complete strangers wave at me. I love knowing that my kids will always have someone in the neighborhood to look out for them when they are out of my sight. I love looking at old pictures of my town and seeing the way the coal community shot up around the mine. I love the fresh clean air and the rivers that run so clear you can see the rocks on the bottom. I love every hill and valley.
Happy 145th birthday West Virginia...I love you...do you hear me?? I LOVE YOU !!
No comments:
Post a Comment