Hey, y’all!
I’m from Pennsylvania, the most boring state
available. I’ve lived here darn near my
whole life, save for some stints out west and down south.
Which is where I got the y’all.
In PA they say yinz or yunz or youns or youse, but
not often y’all. I used to say you guys
a lot, but I realized that I’m not often talking to just guys, and it’s not
fair to girls to be called guys all the time.
I do say “you meddling kids” sometimes, to my own amusement.
Talking to a collective is complicated.
Anyway, Pennsylvania is generally boring, and
that’s where I’m from. Nobody goes to
Pennsylvania just to visit, unless you’re my relatives who live in Delaware and
they visit each year because there aren’t many other states out there more
boring than Pennsylvania except for
Delaware and maybe one or two others (I see you, Ohio).
Pennsylvania is a big state and we have lots to
offer in the way of small towns and bad bridges and roads, and stuff like hiking and fishing and other outside-y things. We try to beef up the interest by
offering the Amish subculture and gabbing about William Penn, but the cold hard fact is
that Pennsylvania is not Florida or California, and is most certainly not
Hawaii or even South Dakota.
And all the Texans say “Stay out, Yankee wimps.”
Or whatever tough things Texans say. Because Texans are tough, and hey Texas,
let’s be friends.
But there are some things about Pennsylvania that
are quite nice, and I’m not just saying that because I’ve lived here for a long
time. Truth is, it would be nice to live
anywhere else that is easier to spell than Pennsylvania, my goodness who came
up with that name? IT’S SO HARD TO
SPELL.
Here are ten cool things about Pennsylvania:
1. The landscape. Pennsylvania is pretty. I mean it – it’s pretty, and I totally took
it for granted when I grew up here. Put
away your visions of strip mines and coal slag, and think about rolling
mountains and hills, and lush, lush flora.
The Appalachian mountain range is part of our backdrop, and it’s an old
and gorgeous girl. The mountains here are tall if not neck-breakingly so, and
we have waterfalls and stuff befitting mountainous regions, but instead of bare
rocks, ours are covered in vegetation that changes year-round.
2. The climate. PA has a beautiful change of seasons, which
means that in the throes of winter when I want to cut my limbs off to stop the
freeze that spreads through them toward the bulk of my body, I think: in four
short months it will be 90 degrees and all will be right with the world. And when it’s over 90 and I’m quite certain
there are parts of me that are melting, I think – in four short months I will be
wearing sweaters and boots for real and I won’t be posing just to look cute.
3. Close to other places you want to see more than your gorgeous yard. We have it all: lakes, rivers,
mountains, amusement parks, historical areas, resorts, cities, farms, suburbs,
shopping, etc. etc. etc. ETCETERA. I
grew up in a rural area, and there were still things to do on an off-day. Usually ride around for hours on country
roads, but there was always something to see.
4. We call it PA. If you live in PA, you call it PA (pee-YAY). Tip: if you come across someone who says
they’re from Pennsylvania, ask them: How long have you lived in PA? They will regard you as one in the know and
you will be in. You know what I mean when I say in.
You’ll be there. Just a little
secret from me to you.
5. College! People
in Pennsylvania are smart, kids. They
stay in school and build schools for you to do your learning. There are like twelve hundred state schools
or something crazy like that (Total made up number. People in PA are smart, but not about
everything at one time. Plus, look it
up, jeez.).
6. People aren’t all up in your grill. We see you, but we don’t fall all over you to show it. We wait for you to approach. We don’t care if you drive by and don’t
wave. But if you do something wrong,
somebody’s going to call you on it.
You’re not so special. Other
states might consider us rude. Love us
or don’t love us; we don’t really care.
On the other hand, if you have a booger on your face or spinach in your
teeth, someone will tell you. And if
they don’t, they’re not making fun of you about it. Clean yourself up and get over yourself
already.
7. History.
Philadelphia was the first capital of the world. What I mean is that it served as the capital
of the United States for a time. Can you
say that, Orlando, Florida? No. You can’t.
I’ve driven down the road to see the Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin’s grave,
and oh, we boast little places called Gettysburg and Valley Forge, two pivotal
sites in our fine nation’s history. Our
Declaration of Independence AND the US Constitution were signed here. And do you like being polio-free? Jonas Salk developed the first polio vaccine
in Pittsburgh, duh.
8. Fallingwater and Andy Warhol. Lest you think we’re boring McHistory-tons,
we also have Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece and the coolest
Andy Warhol museum this side of Mars.
I’ve only seen one of these things, to my great sadness. We also have this cool place called the Music Museum, this totally oddball house that my daughter visited once and will tell you all about it if you have several hours to listen.
9. Burning towns and Abandoned Turnpikes. Ever hear of Centralia? It’s a near ghost town, and it’s in PA. There’s a fire burning underneath it. For over 50 years. And we have a bunch of stretches of the
Pennsylvania turnpike that are abandoned and totally creepy. You can hike/bike/explore them. It’s not my cup of tea, but it might be
yours. Go ahead and do it. Don’t wait for me to approve your getting on
with your freaky needs.
10. It’s home. So I have a soft spot for PA,
despite it being boring in its non-Alaskanicity.
Who doesn’t love the state they live in?
When I lived elsewhere for a time and came home, I could breathe. I was not an outsider any longer. Pennsylvania, despite my misspelling it EVERY
SINGLE TIME, is part of who I am. I fit
in here. I know the people and they know
me. And I am cool with that.
Take that, New York.
*******
This post inspired by:
Mama Kat's Writing Workshop
Prompt #6: List 10 things you love about the state
you live in.
I love Pennsylvania!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Ohio ( I forgive you ) so we went to PA a lot on vacations or through there on the way to somewhere and I love it.
In fact, I want to bring the kids there soon because I have a street named after my family in Gettysburg.
So basically I am PA royalty.
You do love Pennsylvania? I think everyone does, secretly. If I were you I'd get a t-shirt made that says "PA Royalty." But that's just me.
DeleteGreat post. All true. The collective "you" thing is funny and of course depends on what part of PA youns are from. I love it here, crappy highways and all. Youse did a great job with this. :D
ReplyDeleteCrappy highways and all - Thank you!! (I didn't know you were a PA girl, too! :)
DeleteI think it's funny that you say people don't go to PA to visit because my inlaws do almost every year. Hershey PA has been their family's favorite vacation spot for years. They also love visiting the Amish scene in Lancaster / Bird in Hand, going to Kitchen Kettle Village, etc.
ReplyDeleteWell, of course people vacation here - I'm just a little jaded, you know? We have the Poconos, after all, plus those places you mentioned. My Delaware relatives always said that they love it here, too, and often come for day trips, just to see what we have going on. :)
DeleteI can relate because I grew up in Illinois (flat, long, and filled with towns named after foreign cities but completely mispronounced: Marseilles? Say "Mar-SALES". Vienna? Say "Vy-ANNA") and people only come here to visit Chicago or attend college (in Chicago).
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm glad to hear that you think PA is cool because it seems that my hubby's job is always trying to persuade him to move to PA or NJ, and this girl isn't going to Jersey. No offense, New Jersey.
Psst: my husband works in New Jersey. I am definitely not cool enough for New Jersey. But come to PA! We're cool enough. If you move to the western part of the state, you're practically in the Midwest US.
DeleteI spent some time in Philadelphia (you know, that's not an easy spell either... what's up with the tricky words PA?) when I was younger and I definitely agree that you are beautiful PA. Being Canadian, all the outdoorsy stuff is right up my alley! And I come from the city that was the first capital of Canada (it's not now but we're not bitter okay) so I felt rather at home with all the history and patriotism. also, hockey and beer! felt quite at home ;)
ReplyDeleteI've often thought I'd fit in well in Canada, too. Well, despite the outdoorsy stuff. I can appreciate it from a large picture window. :)
DeleteI love living in Pennsylvania. (And I hate to admit it but I say Pennsylvania and I've lived here all my life. So now I'm weird and from PA *wink*)
ReplyDeleteAnd with it's proximity to NYC and the Jersey Shore , truly what is not to like? I I don't ever want to move from this beautiful state.
It's nice to hear that some people who AREN'T weird love PA. ::whispers:: You're one of them. And ho ho ho, hello, NYC and NJ beaches, and don't forget DC and Baltimore! Of course, they're only convenient if you live in the eastern side of the state, but the western part has Niagara Falls and the Great Lakes; no scorekeeping needed.
DeleteThe PA doesn't sound so bad after all! It really is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt is! Visit us!
DeleteThere's something about PA that has many young people anxious to leave and explore the rest of the country - but many come back to PA to stay (when their brains are fully formed and they're smart). I miss PA, and Pittsburgh, and PENNDOT and pierogies and yinz (not really), and I love the way we PA folk are not up in your grill and would never ask "Do you have a home church" like they do in those red Southern states. It's nobody's business, ya know?
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this - it made me proud to be from the Keystone State again.
See? Now you're making me all nostalgic for PA, and I actually DO live here. It is quite a homey place. I also know many people who moved away and moved back. They say it's because of the schools, but we all know it's because of the pierogies.
DeleteSo, I'm a little late to the party, but I just wanted to commend you, Andrea Mowery, on your funny article that I read after googling "why is Pennsylvania so boring." (True story.) I am sitting in a bar where I was lamenting the boring people with boring haircuts who are having boring conversations around me, and I landed upon your article.
ReplyDeleteI'm not from here, but I live here now while I wait for my husband to finish grad school so we can travel the country. Overall, I actually like a lot of the things about being here, and I am frequently surprised by the beauty that surrounds me. That said, sometimes the area gets to me (being from the beach that "you guys" INSIST on calling OceanCityMaryland as one word), and I struggle with being out of my element and so far from the salty air. It puts me in a mood. And when I get in that mood, I end up googling existential questions for the google monster to answer--and today, your article was that answer. So anyway, thank you for putting effort into writing this post and bringing some light into my evening! I'm looking around the bar again now, and I'm realizing the people and their conversations aren't so boring after all (and haircuts bore me regardless of location), so thank you for that as well!
Yay! I'm so glad this article found you. I forgot about this post, but it's nice to be reminded (when it's 50 and dreary like today, as it so often is) that where we live isn't so bad after all.
DeletePS. I have often sat at a bar in PA, looked around, and thought - what a bunch of boring haircuts.