13 Terrifying Things In Kentucky That Can (And Just Might) Kill You
By Jenn Shockley|Published November 24, 2015
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Jenn Shockley
Author
I am somewhat a cliche'. I grew up running around barefoot on a farm in Kentucky.
I love writing, art, sunshine, all animals and my incredibly patient husband, who tolerates my "crazy animal lady" side.
The beauty of our great state makes us feel serene, but there are still a few things in Kentucky that can–and just might–kill us. We don’t think about most of these things in our day to day lives, as in most cases, life is pleasant. It is never comfortable to think about things that could bring about our demise. Instead, we prefer to maintain the,”that won’t happen to me” attitude.
Here are 13 troubling things in Kentucky that can, and just might, kill us:
Our roads have more potholes then some of the old country roads I’ve driven on. It is like driving through a mine field, never knowing when one side of your car is going to bounce into a jagged hole. We have personally experienced a few flats over the years, and seen some awful wrecks caused by potholes.
Roadkills… Not consuming it. The probability of hitting a deer, raccoon, fox, or possum is really high in Kentucky, even within city limits. Just last week we were on a main road near the Louisville Zoo and a man hit a deer in front of us. A herd of about eight crossed the road. It was truly sad to see. We’d seen a Red Fox just a few minutes prior on another busy road.
There is a lot more to digging potatoes, bailing hay, picking tobacco and handling farm duties then most people think about. Most farms use machinery, which can sometimes malfunction, causing a farmer to be maimed or worse. The majority of farming accidents are quite awful.
There is crisp clean air around parts of the Appalachians and other areas of Kentucky, but when it comes to Louisville, there is a high air particle pollution content. The Ohio Valley itself is home to the "Ohio Valley Lung Disease", which causes growths in the lungs. Other parts of the Bluegrass also have issues with pollution, such as Paradise, which was immortalized by John Prine in song.
If the Corvette Museum can get swallowed up, so can we. Everyone thought those nice shiny cars were safe too… Besides, we are literally on top of a giant cave system. That in itself makes the sink hole possibility quite real.
The humidity here can literally make you feel like you are suffocating at times. That is when you are healthy. If you have lung problems, it is a lot more troubling.
Realistically, there are those that can drive well, and those that cannot. We all know this to be true, so please don’t dispute it. At some point and time we have seen someone do something incredibly stupid that either caused, or almost caused an accident. We might have even been in one ourselves. Rain and snow really increase the odds in some areas…
Our weather changes more often than someone getting ready for a first date. It doesn’t matter what you put on, at some point it will likely be inappropriate for the day's weather. It can go from 75 to below freezing in 24 hours and back again.
Oh LAWD, the sweet tea… and how most of us can’t live without it. Sweet tea is a necessity for a lot of Kentuckians. If you pass on that, you likely fall prey to the homemade fudge, divinity, pies, cakes, puddings and combinations created in well over half the kitchens in Kentucky.
We have some of the most fabulous southern cooking homes and restaurants in the entire U.S. You can stop in any town across the state and likely find a diner that serves fried chicken, some type of gravy, homemade pie, green beans or greens with ham hock and more. It tastes so good going down we usually don’t hear our arteries screaming.
According to a few reports, Kentucky has more cancer related deaths than anywhere else in the states. This has been attributed to smoking in many cases. However, if you’re a smoker, you will likely disagree.
This is Kentucky’s number one cause of death according to the several sources, including CDC and Life Science, whose link can be seen via the CDC map.
There is no reason not to feel safe in the beautiful Bluegrass State. Yes, we have issues, but so does every other state in the U.S. The reality is that nowhere is completely safe from everything. These are just a few things that came to mind when I thought of causes of death in Kentucky. Mind you, some of them are based on actual situations and reports, but some are more in jest. You can decide which is which, but what else would you add to the list?
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