Proud to be a West Virginian Montani Semper Liberi ... Mountaineers Are Always Free. These words adorn the state flag and state seal of the Great State of West Virginia. Yes, that state that continually comes in last in every statistic kept - by the federal government. We're last (or next to last) in just about every failing of humankind ... obesity, tobacco use, high school graduation rate, and - teen pregnancy. You name it; we're number one or number fifty, depending upon your perspective. West Virginia is one of the poorest states in America. Our median - income wouldn't buy a cheeseburger, fries, and a coke in New York City. Our elected politicians are, by and large, good ole boys. We're the butts of many a joke around the country. The largest employer in the state IS the state. The largest single city in West Virginia barely has 50,000 people. - We're mostly known for coal mining, yet the lion's share of dollars from mining - leaves the state, and ends up in the hands of the land barons living elsewhere. No United States Presidents were born in West Virginia. I don't even believe any Vice Presidents were born here; but we are the home of Senator - Robert C. Byrd. West Virginia doesn't have a professional sports team. We're not big enough. We don't have any major TV markets that would be attractive to any owners. We don't have any national monuments . no G! Grand Can yon, or Mount Rushmore, or even a Disney World; no NASCAR tracks (yet), no Great Lakes, no international airports, no Opryland, no sky needles, no eight lane highways, no - beaches, no Ivy League colleges. We don't have any skyscrapers, or world famous vacation spots, or motion picture studios, or amber waves of grain; no subways, no Emmy Awards, no Mardi Gras, and no Rose Bowl Parade. With all of the things West Virginia doesn't have, why would anyone bother living here, you ask? Well ....West Virginia has some things that a person doesn't realize they wanted until they were here. West Virginia has mountains. The Appalachian Mountains extend from New York to Georgia, but in no state are they more majestic, or part of the renown, than in West Virginia. The highest point in West Virginia is Spruce Knob, one mile above sea level. Yes, there are higher points in America, but none more beautiful. Because of our mountains, we have rivers. The oldest river in the Western Hemisphere, the New River (quite appropriately named, don't you think) - ends in West Virginia. We have the Gauley river, which confluences with the New River in a magnificent cascade to form the Kanawha River, which in turn flows through the center of the state, and directly through the capital city of Charleston, the largest city in West Virginia. These rivers in addition to the - Cheat, Blackwater,Tygart, Monongahela, and countless others offer tremendous recreational opportunities. The tallest building in Charleston is barely 25 floors tall, w! hich, if you think about it, is a plus; how could you possibly build a skyscraper more beautiful than a mountain? The capital city stretches throughout the long - river valley, encompassing both hill and dale. The Charleston airport, the - largest in the state, sits on top of a mountain. The crime rate in Charleston, including the entire population of the Kanawha Valley(around 200,000), - reflects that of the entire state . the lowest in America. No more than a handful of murders are committed each year. Charleston has no subway systems, - but, truth be known, you can get from one end of town to the other, even in - rush hour traffic, in less than ten minutes. There are three major interstate - systems going through Charleston, the smallest city in America to make such a claim. The entire state has six different interstate systems, meaning, from Charleston, you can reach Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, - Louisville or Charlotte in four hours or less. Ah, but, once you leave the interstates, the drive becomes a thing of wonder. Two lane roads, winding up and down the mountains, offer amazing views - and historic places ... small towns, poor in wealth but rich in history. West - Virginia is the birthplace of Mother's Day, in Grafton; and Father's Day, in Fairmont. We have the oldest covered bridge still in use. We have walnut festivals and strawberry festivals and apple festivals and pumpkin festivals and buckwheat festivals, and arts and crafts fairs and stern wheel regattas and ramp dinners. We have Bridge Day, on the New River Gorge bridge over 800 feet above the New River; the only standing structure in the United States that, one - day a year, allows parachuting and bungee jumping. We have college basketball, and minor league baseball and hockey, and, - just like all of America, ! Friday n ight high school football. We have white - water rafting, and skiing, and hiking, and caves, and waterfalls, and camping in every direction. We have Sundays where a leisurely drive in the car can take eight hours, and only cover 100 miles. We have bed and breakfasts, and resorts, and golf courses, and museums, and the Greenbrier Hotel. West Virginia - has more natural beauty and wonder than any person could ever imagine. We have all of this, and yet .... our greatest asset is our people. West Virginians are good people. We care about each other. We talk to our neighbors over the backyard fence. We grow tomatoes for the entire neighborhood. We turn around in each other's driveways, and yell "howdy" when we do. We sit on the porch on warm summer evenings, listening to crickets, and watching kids catch fireflies. We loan a hammer, or a cup of sugar. We don't take two-hour lunches, but we do spend a few minutes each day with a cup of coffee, and our feet up on our desk, shooting the breeze. We rarely get in a hurry. We have relatives just down the street. We don't just loan someone a socket wrench, we help them fix their car. We share recipes, and gardening tips, and our last cup of coffee. We baby sit each other's kids, we house sit for each other's dogs while we're on vacation, and we loan each other our cars if we have to get to the drug store. We ask each other if we need anything as we're going to the market. We celebrate each other's accomplishments, and we cry over each other's disappointments. We are a friendly folk. We are West Virginians. Mountaineers are always free. Author Unknown Free to take the time to enjoy life, and hold each our hearts, forever. If you are proud to be a West Virginian. then pass this on. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use custom emotions -- try MSN Messenger 6.0!

Let me take it a step farther. Even though I have grown up on the West Coast and only visited a couple of times, I am very proud of my West Virginian ancestors (half my family tree). They had grit. They have a special CULTURE, that I got to taste when visiting my relatives (in the mountains of Idaho and WV). Right now I live just outside of Los Angeles, a diverse metropolis. Yeah, when I came, I went through some culture shock, but I got over that. And what comparisons can I make? This is a place where you are judged by what you wear, what you drive, what you do for a living and where you live. Some people are exceptions, but on the whole it is a shallow, sometimes cruel, environment. When I visit WV...it doesn't matter if I am a 6th cousin through an illegitimate child, I was treated as family. What does that say about the relative cultures of WV and urban life in general? Need I say more? Pat Saletore