State of Confusion by Jason Headley
“I’m from West Virginia.”
“Oh really? I have a cousin in Roanoke.”
“That’s in Virginia.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m from West Virginia. It’s a different state.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“It’s frustrating to come from a state that most people don’t even know exists. The only thing worse is when they do. They get that mischievous twinkle in the eye and then, out pour the jokes. The barnyard jokes, the banjo jokes, and everyone’s favorite, the incest jokes. I’m not sure what response people are hoping for when they accuse me of screwing my sister, but I can assure you it never endears me toward them. And I don’t even have a sister. But these sad stabs at humor can’t be unique to West Virginia. I’m sure it happens to people from all sorts of Southern states: Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky. Hell, to be perfectly honest, I’ve made those sorts of jokes about people from Kentucky. But it all leads up to a bigger question. These are attitudes about the South. So, is West Virginia a part of the South?”
