First things first, this is all my fault. After our 40-plus mile per hour winds swept across the state on Friday evening, Mother Nature calmed down and warmed up to nearly 70 degrees by Sunday afternoon.
I guessed that the wind had blown all the wintry weather back to Canada or wherever it comes from. I was so happy to have the windows open and see some sun that I immediately set up our big wrap-around porch for summer, moved our winter coats to the back of the closet and lost my snow brush entirely.
Accordingly, within 12 hours, there was at least 6 inches of snow over everything and I was fighting for my life clearing snow off my car with a flap of cardboard I dug out of the recycling pile. We went from brutally high winds to bright sunny days to deep snow all in the space of 48 hours. Welcome to Ohio! Here you really can have it all.
As a native of “flyover country,” I have thoughts. “Flyover country refers to the central United States (Midwest, Great Plains, and South) that travelers, particularly coastal elites, fly over rather than visit, often implying a dismissive view of the region as culturally irrelevant.” This is ridiculous.
The city of Cleveland alone has a better arts scene than most states — the Cleveland Orchestra, Playhouse Square, regional theaters, community performing arts, jazz festivals and the like offer cultural enjoyment across the state.
We have terrific music venues, which the greatest bands and artists visit. I attended so many concerts as a teen and young adult that I truly cannot remember them all. What a wonderful problem to have.
We have an awesome food scene, arts scene, miles of sandy beaches, state and private parks galore, professional football, baseball, soccer and hockey teams, world-class health care and walleye fishing at its best — if you’re into that. Sprinkle in top zoos and award-winning, internationally known amusement parks and museums. Not to mention, Ohio ranks no. 1 in higher education.
Speaking of flying, Ohio leads the nation in boasting of having borne 24 astronauts. Not to mention the Wright Brothers — pioneers in airplane flight — were from Dayton. Yeah, yeah, we see the obvious laughs. Cue the joke: “What IS it about Ohio that makes so many people want to flee the Earth to get away?” Joke’s on them, though. Just this week, we attracted a full-blown meteorite AND Bigfoot (Bigfeet?). Not too shabby.
I didn’t hear or feel the meteorite. I live in a rural community. Hearing banging around and loud popping sounds is just another Tuesday. I hear it was quite exciting up north though. Streaks of fire blazing across the sky and all that jazz. I’m at the point that if I see streaks of fire, I’m just going to do a quick self-check that I’m good with the Lord and continue on with my day. Ditto if I should see Bigfoot — although in that case I will probably also scream. I scream when I see a bat or a mouse. It is likely I won’t be any cooler if I spot a sasquatch. Last week, our Ring camera alerted us to a “black bear walking on the porch.” Spoiler alert: there was no bear. It was probably our cat who is now going to be bigheaded about being mistaken for a bear. Then again, perhaps it was … Bigfoot?
According to Google, if Ohio were an independent nation, it would be a significant global economic player, boasting a GDP of over $683 billion. This is greater than nations like Sweden, Belgium, or Egypt—ranking it around the 24th largest economy in the world. With flat land to the north and rolling hills to the South and East into the Appalachian Mountains. I moved to the Appalachian portion decades ago, and it’s so beautiful. It’s no wonder Bigfoot (allegedly) likes it here. We have waterfront, lakes, forests, and farmland. So I am proud to be a native Buckeye and tell others not to malign our fair state (speaking of which, we have AMAZING fairs!)
I wouldn’t think less of anyone proud of their own home state, too. People can and should love California, Maine, and New York. The deep south has hardcore fans, and Texans sure are big on Texas — literally. Wisconsin cheese or Pennsylvania’s Liberty Bell are all something to be very proud of indeed. Some places have better seafood, sailing, skiing, or cost of living. Be it old New England towns or high desert scenery, either can be gorgeous, too. That’s the thing about blooming where you’re planted. Every state in our great land has something wonderful to offer — even if it can’t offer sunburn, snowdrifts, space debris and Bigfoot all in the same day.
