The Great Lakes State

Every time I visit Michigan, I am overwhelmed with my love for this state.  It begins the moment I cross the state line and begin dodging the asteroid-size potholes while accelerating to the 75 mph speed limit, and ends as soon as I cross back into Ohio and see the legions of Buckeye fans. Here are a few reasons why I feel the love:

1.  Everybody dresses like me.  Or maybe that should be, I dress like everybody here.  Growing up here, it's no wonder that my "style" (or lack there of) reflects the style here.  What is that style?  khaki shorts, solid t-shirt, sandals.  Too, my Michigan t-shirt doesn't stand out here like it does in Pennsylvania, and nobody spits at me!

2.  Everybody sounds like me.  I take fiendish delight in mocking the central PA accent.  Instead of "sure", they say "shore".  Instead of leaving something on the table, they let it on the table.  Here, I hear nothing, and it's peace to my soul.

3.  Everybody is friendly.  I know, I know, everybody says this about their home state/country, but it's really true here.  In Pennsylvania, we're lucky to get a "hi" back to our friendly, smiling hellos, and to see a smile from a person in a service-oriented job?  Impossible.  My kids actually stare in wonder as I try and engage any cashier in Pennsylvania.  I'm not sure if it's hemorrhoids, or lack of sleep from staying up all night, drinking coffee in the hunting blinds.  Here in Michigan?  Smiles, eye contact, conversation.  I love it!

4.  This is really a reason that Mark loves Michigan, but I must agree.  It sure is nice to see African Americans.  Okay, being from Michigan, we aren't quite so PC, and amongst our family, we say "we love black people" (central PA is soooo white).  Honestly, I believe it is because of the huge population of black people in Michigan and their sense of style that there is a huge selection of great clothing in every department store!  Too, their music?  The best!

5.  The weather.  I love the humidity and lack of wind.  When I could run, I couldn't run in it to save my life (it saps all strength from my body, like Kryptonite for Superman), but now that I'm prohibited from ever quickening my gait, I love it.

6.  Water.  There is water everywhere here.  Yes, it furthers the population of mosquitos, but that's why the big spray trucks that drive around in the wee hours were created.

7.  The soil.  Like I've said, our street at home isn't named "Stoney Point" for nothing.  We don't use a shovel to dig a hole, we use a pick axe.  Here, the soil is legit.  Just yesterday, I was watching a backhoe tear up a street downtown, and what did I see beneath the asphalt?  DIRT!!  A couple of years ago, a deer died on my mom's property (in Ann Arbor), and John couldn't stand the smell.  He got the family in the back yard and told us to dig a hole to bury the deer (let's not even discuss the whole craziness of this plan--we just went with it to save energy as we stood melting in the 90 degree humidity).  30 minutes later?  Hole dug, deer buried.  Done.  How long would this have taken at home?  Long enough that the deer would have entered an advanced stage of decomposition before we could bury it.

8.  Driving.  People here drive crazy.  Actually, people here drive like John and me (and I must add Ethan and Mark to the list through genetic predisposition).  Stop sign?  What stop sign?  Speed limit?  It says 75, but 80 feels so good, why don't we drive 85?  The traffic just flows.

9.  College sports.  I take great pride in belonging to a state that boasts champions in just about every sport.  Of course, it wasn't quite as fun shopping at "M Den" today since Michigan football sucks, but women's softball?  They rock!

10.  Pop.  People here call carbonated drinks "pop".  In fact, I can walk into Meijer (it should be it's own reason and number) and see a price sticker for a 32 oz. POP.  "Soda" is highly overrated and just plain wrong.

11.  Finally, it's just Michigan.  I can't describe it, but it's a feeling.  Mark is by far the most sensitive to the feeling, and he mentions it all the time.  Just today, he called me from orientation and said that as soon as he walked into the School of Music, he knew he was in the right place.  For whatever reason, when we are in Michigan, life just seems right.