West Virginians are incredibly tough. Here are just a few reasons why.
1. A tough land makes tough people.
Many of us descended from early Appalachian settlers. The mountains made the area isolated. It wasn’t exactly an easy place to live.
2. Coal mining has had deadly consequences.
Coal mining — which for a long time was one of the only jobs to be had in West Virginia — is hard. It’s hard both on the miner and the families of miners who are at risk of a mine collapse or other disasters. Coal mining has been the cause of many disasters in West Virginia. It’s also made us tough people.
3. And there have been other, non-coal-related disasters.
And coal has not caused our only disasters. In the past few years there’s been a natural gas pipeline that destroyed five houses, an oil train that derailed and destroyed a house, a chemical leak that made our water unusable for days and a landslide that destroyed a church. And those are only recent events. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, they say.
4. We survive summer here every year.
Summer is hot here, but the humidity is the worst part.
5. And winters are equally brutal.
The roads on the mountains are hard to pass when they're covered in snow and ice.
6. We get made fun of a lot.
We've heard all the stereotypes: West Virginians marry their relatives, don't wear shoes, don't have teeth, are dumb... the list goes on. But the people who make fun of West Virginia obviously know nothing about us.
These are just a few of the reasons why West Virginians are tough. What else would you add to this list?
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