Appalachia

[Chris in VA]

(hope I spelled that right)

 

I saw how Diane Sawyer is going to do a piece on Appalachia on Friday, and it made me think. I read the Foxfire books as a teen, loved the Christy series (and book), etc. I've always had an interest in this area of the country. Those of you who live there, is it a stereotype that most people there are living a "rural, poor" life? Are people who come in to help, with good intentions, seen as intrusive/not wanted, etc.? Any other points you want to make about this region of the country would be welcome--looking for discussion.

[lionfamily1999]

My husband's grandfather was born and raised in the Gap and my dad used to run deliveries around there. Both said the area was different. My dad said it was incredibly rustic, Grampa said the ideals are different. Neither called it poor. Their thoughts being, the way of life there is very different (in the backwoods country, of course this is twenty or so years ago). Money isn't the be-all-end-all there, that it is off the mountain.

[Kim in Appalachia]

first off, I'm not from here. We moved to this area in 1996. We've lived in 3 different parts of "Appalachia", all different with a some similarities.

 

We've always lived in a town, all 3 were very small towns, but towns. Our current "town" has a population of less than 3,000. Even the cities are smaller than the ones I grew up around.

 

There are a lot of people living in what is considered rural areas. There is a high percentage of people living in what is considered poverty. I say considered because everything is relative. You can find examples of extreme poverty, but that exists in cities as well. One difference is that there are less services available to the poor, or the services are harder to get too. The overall income in the area is much less than the N.E. (where I'm from), but cost of living is lower too.

 

People tend to think of run down trailers as a problem here, but it's the old, falling apart homes that are worse. The old homes can have bad wiring, poor plumbing, and can be generally unsafe. You can get a nice trailer and put in on a nice piece of property. That is one big difference here. Trailers are not thought of as "poor", they do not have the same stigma attached to them. Many people will buy land, for cash, and then put a mobile home, intending to build when they have more cash. In my opinion, this is smart. They go into much less debt, and only get what they can afford.

 

Education is not always king here. Others will look down on people here because they don't push their kids academically, but some areas have few jobs, and the jobs available, especially for men, don't require higher education. Not everyone wants their children to grow up and leave. That said, the standards at many of the schools are poor. Because of less respect for education, and because there are not a lot of kids (making funding of schools hard) the schools do not do a good job preparing kids for college.

 

There are still a lot of family attachments here. People come from larger families, and have lot of relatives that they care about.

 

Of course, these are all just generalizations. But overall the people are friendly, kind-hearted and smart. They also tend to be passive-aggressive.

 

Overall,I like living here. I think this is a great place to raise children.

 

I usually don't like the reports that are on TV, I won't watch them. It is easy to pick out the most negative and make it look like the norm.

 

Others may have a different opinion on the area. These are just a few of my thoughts, others may disagree.

[MamaT]

I find everything Kim said to be true. We live in a rural area 12 miles from Asheville. I think Asheville is atypical, as it is considered a "small New Orleans." I heard a radio talk show host call the city limits "Freak City" yesterday.

 

Everything outside I-240 (which loops the city) is as described above, the city limits are like another planet.

 

I have found that the people here are genuinely friendly, but look suspiciously on people that are different than they are or are from another area.

[Kelli in TN]

Chris,

I saw that report this morning as well.

 

I understand and my heart breaks for the extreme poverty there. But at the same time I was thinking, "Wait, you don't have enough money for any food but you do have money to feed your Mountain Dew addiction?"

 

If I had a couple of dollars left I want to believe that I would make better choices than to use those dollars for soft drinks. And why do they put soft drinks in the baby bottles?

 

I don't mean to sound judgmental or cold hearted. I just don't understand some of the choices that were represented on that report.

[Kim in Appalachia]

Everyone seems to drink Mountain Dew here. I'm not sure why. And I have seen people give it to babies.

 

Everyone, everywhere, makes poor choices at times. Often times, (not always, there are other factors) poverty is caused by a string of poor choices.

 

ETA: Kelli, I'm not saying you're wrong. I see people in this area make some strange choices, and it is frustrating. I just think it is true in every area. Each area has it's own "weaknesses" or "vices". But overall, the area has less wealth than other areas of the country, so it can't cover-up it's vices as well, KWIM?

Edited February 12, 2009 by Kim in Appalachia
wanted to add

[Chris in VA]

Thanks for your replies. I don't know why I find this area so fascinating. I once saw a wonderful show about a man who was collecting the music of the area--writing down people's songs that they had heard as children--sort of a folk music compiler. The voices were haunting and beautiful. The music was so heartfelt and lovely--IDK, I just really am close in my own weird way to this area! Maybe in the future I'll do something more than visit.

[hillfarm]

I live in the foothills of the Appalachians, in Ohio. As mentioned, each region has its own unique character. My dh is from a small city in this region but we live out in the country. We only have 17.5 acres but my mother has the farm next to us and we manage that also which is 103 acres. That is considered a small farm around here, as most are. These hills do not lend themselves well to the large scale farming done in flatter areas such as Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, etc.

 

When we returned from living away for 20 years, there were some things I noticed more than others. For one thing, you cannot count on getting things done quickly here. They may have the replacement part, they may not. If you get pushy or loud about it, they may never get that part delivered. It took me 6 weeks to get my phone hooked up when we moved in. After we had lived here 6 months, we stopped meeting people who weren't related to people we had already met. People give directions based on landmarks not street numbers. "You go to the corner where that old feed store used to be and turn toward the pasture with those white cows..."

 

Regarding outsiders, there is some suspicion. It gets old after a while, having outsiders come in and claim to know what is best for you and your family. Particularly when your family has been living on this same farm for the last 200 years and they have never even been to this region. And of course all those outsiders who come thinking to find the ignorant hicks around here easy marks for their scams add to this stereotype. The other type of outsiders that are not well received are those who come to make a profit from abusing the resources here and then move on. Not just the coal and timber companies, but nowdays, factory farming operations come in, destroy the beautiful land, and then move on and leave us to deal with their toxic wastes.

 

Dh is from here, his ancestors first came here in 1810. I am a transplant from the other southern corner of Ohio. But I have learned how best to fit in--be honest, kind, friendly, and willing to share. I give directions to my home by telling people to look for the water tower in the distance and to turn by the unpainted board fence. I know that I have to be prepared to answer the question about where "our people" lived to any older person around here before engaging them in conversation about anything else. When I drive the 16 miles of dirt roads between our home and the little town, if I see more than one car, I find myself wondering what all the traffic is about. I wave at every one, regardless of whether I actually know them. I have called a wrong number and ended up talking to someone I have never met (but I knew some of her people, so we had plenty to talk about).

 

Our region is poor in terms of money. Dh makes what most would consider a low salary. And as I mentioned in a recent post, I just paid our property taxes and homeowners insurance this week--$389 total for 6 months. But we feel that we live a very full and satisfying lifestyle. We have lots of friends, a comfortable home, a nice church home, and we lack for little in the way of life's essentials. I love it here.

 

Unfortunately, the current economy is hitting us hard. My rural county has lost over 2000 jobs in the last year with more disappearing every day. A great many of the people here are what we call cash poor and land rich. There are 5 ladies in my mother's quilting group. They own over 3000 acres between them.

 

BTW, around here, pronunciation is everything. We live in Appa-latch-uh, outsiders come looking for Appa-lay-sha. There are actually towns around here that have intentional slight misspellings of their names. The home town folks know the old pronunciation and by such know each other. The outsiders pronounce it as it looks and are quickly identified. This was a very big deal during the coal mining/unionization issues of the 30's and 40's.

[Journey]

I saw that on Good Morning America as well. I too am fascinated by that area of the country. I would love to visit there and I think it would be awesome to live there for a minute. I know that sounds weird but I would.

[Rebecca]

Well-

I am sorry to say that I don't think it is a stereotype. We live an hour and a half South of Asheville. Asheville is lovely, by the way.

 

I have been told than an hour east and an hour west of where we live is worse- and it is even more rural.

 

Before I moved here- I don't think I would have believed the stereotypes... or would have thought people were just rude to feel that way.

However, having been here- I have EXPERIENCED it.

 

It has been difficult to say the least.

 

But I think that every area has its "issues." I came from a major metro area in the north east and have found thru living here- that that area has its own angst.

 

I have also been "shot down" here by medical people based on standards from where I came from. The standard here is NOT the same.

 

People are not accepting of outsiders. There is a difference in education/ the value of education. There is an ignorance about some things.

 

I was told to just keep on keeping on... not get offended- and eventually I will find my niche!

 

However, it is as lovely, as beautiful, and as rustic as you see in any picture ever. Truly beautiful. Also- there is a wonderful culture of handi crafts here that is really special.

 

So... that is my two cents from one who relocated.

[mcconnellboys]

Ahhh, I've always skated on the edge regarding Appalachia. The language is beautiful to me, one of the last vestiges of Elizabethan English. The people are hardy and family oriented, as lots of our pioneers were in another day and time. If that means stubborn, too, well maybe that's been a survival trait... working deep coal mines for generations requires a certain sort of tenacity....

 

Yes, there can be a sort of hopelessness apparent in many areas. I've seen the same thing in the Delta of Mississippi, in the projects of New Orleans, and the slums of other large cities. People stuck anywhere have to be shown another way of life in order to begin to understand how to live any differently. You can't just *tell* them about it; they have to see it, live it for themselves. That's why so many of us who knew well the projects of New Orleans were actually sort of happy for the people to have the chance to get out of there after Katrina and begin to see other ways of life, elsewhere.

 

Yes, the Oxycotin (how do you spell that?) culture is absolutely raging there. Eastern Kentucky is worse than anywhere except the California coast. It's terribly sad and scary. There are equally scary things going on regarding drugs in lots of small towns in America in this day and age, however.

 

Overall, I feel as if the people in this region are sort of stuck in a time warp. They are having things thrust upon them which they are unprepared to handle (such as designer drugs), but there are pockets where the people remain strong in their family ties, work ethic, etc., as well. While they may be considered "uneducated" by the standards of some city dwellers, they are not unintelligent people and like many indigenous people everywhere, they are wise to suspect the drop-in "do-gooders" who may do more harm than good in their attempts to help out in a culture they don't understand, and who will inevitably leave, mostly sooner than later, taking all their "change" with them.....

[farmgirlinwv]

Well, I guess I'll post. I have spent most of my life in Appalachia. I was born and spent most of my life in WV. I currently live in VA, near the Blue Ridge Mountains.

 

I grew up in a four room house w/ my parents and 2 other siblings until 1985 when we bought a trailor. We did not have indoor plumbing or hot water, but we did have cold running water. We had an outhouse/johnnyhouse. We heated water on a gas stove for washing. We took baths at my grandma's. I only knew I was poor from going to school and seeing the difference b/w my life experiences and others. When I was young I wished my life was as easy as theirs seemed to be. As an adult I appreciate the life I had. It has made me a better, stronger and more resiliant person. I am not afraid of losing what we have because I know how to live w/ less. I don't take for granted the amenities we enjoy on a daily basis. I also don't want/need every *new fangled* gadget coming down the pike. I'm content w/ the basics and my family.

 

When your time and energy is not spent in accumulating or caring for all the *things* you have; family and community and relationships are primary. We value hard work and honesty and generosity. Outsiders are not welcome immediately though we generally are courteous to them. Outsiders are very different. Their values are so different. We value people and conversation and simple pleasures. They seem to value how they are seen, what they have, and how they can get more. To most Appalachian people this is very annoying. We are not interested in that. Outsiders usually look down on us and feel that we are not motivated enough. This is true of some. There are genuinely lazy people everywhere. However, it has been my experience that there are no kinder, more generous people to be found anywhere. In my mothers' family they would give you the shirt off their back, literally, if someone needed it.

 

Outsiders come in and bring w/ them their *rules*. We value freedom and independence fiercely. Outsiders want to have the city in the country. We just want them to go back to the city. Don't tell us when to mow our grass or how many cars we can have in our yard, or what kind of fence we can put up. We own it. We pay taxes. You don't like it. Go back where you came from. This is not the place for you.

 

While most *hillbillies* don't place the emphasis on education that their urban counterparts too. It is my experience that most *urbanites* don't place the emphasis on community and generosity and self-reliance like the county folk do. I have lived both ways. I vastly prefer the simple country life. To be honest, most suburban-type people come across to me as very shallow and pleasure seeking, more concerned with appearances than substance. This is, of course, a generalization. Conversely, they see us as lacking in ambition and the arts. We cling to religion and guns and the old ways of life. There is truth to that, but that's how we like it.

 

So, I may have grown up w/o many luxuries. We grew our own vegetables and killed our own chickens and turkeys. We lived up a 'hollar and went barefoot alot. Our clothes were hand-me-downs and we weren't always clean. BUT we knew what it was to love and be loved. We knew what it was to go to bed tired from working hard in the garden. We knew the sense of self-worth that comes from contributing in a significant way to our families and our community. I would not trade what I learned in Appalachia for what I see in suburbia. I'm sure most suburbanites wouldn't want to trade w/ me either. :001_smile: It's two different cultures, and it's hard for one to understand the other. I truly don't understand most *city people* even though I genuinely like most of them. They don't really understand us either. That's ok if we allow each culture to continue to exist and even thrive w/o one culture saying it's better and taking over and trying to change the other. That would be a terrible loss and a great tragedy, imo.

 

Lisa

Edited February 13, 2009 by farmgirlinwv

[Chris in VA]

Thank you for these posts. I truly appreciate the views of those who've shared. I'm sure I have a lot to learn, and I thank you for helping me.

[Brigitte]

Everyone seems to drink Mountain Dew here. I'm not sure why. And I have seen people give it to babies.

 

Everyone, everywhere, makes poor choices at times. Often times, (not always, there are other factors) poverty is caused by a string of poor choices.

 

ETA: Kelli, I'm not saying you're wrong. I see people in this area make some strange choices, and it is frustrating. I just think it is true in every area. Each area has it's own "weaknesses" or "vices". But overall, the area has less wealth than other areas of the country, so it can't cover-up it's vices as well, KWIM?

 

I spent 4 years living in "swanky" Asheville (not what I would consider Appalachia) at a very pricey boarding school and watched faculty children (toddlers and very young children) being given sweet tea (not much above Mt. Dew given the sugar and caffeine, in my eyes) by their parents. So, poor dietary choices by parents are not reserved for the uneducated, poor, mountain folk. ;)