is anyone out there???

Different is good

I've lived in West Virginia for over 13 years now. We're happy here and it's beautiful. There are a few things I've noticed over the years that seem unique to this state, or at least I've never seen in other states I've lived in or visited.

There are the little things like learning that a toboggan is not a sled but a hat. Or when someone mentions a sweeper, they are referring to a vacuum. Something interesting I discovered last year was our seasonal speed bump.

At first we weren't sure what happened. For some reason, my son and the neighbor really detested the new speed bump that was installed at the bottom of our hill. They complained every time we went over it. So, one day when it was no longer there, I looked in the rear view mirror to see from the looks on their faces if they had actually followed through with their threats of sneaking out during the night with shovels and removing it. They seemed as surprised as I was to find it missing.

Our beloved speed bump returned the following spring. Last week it once again disappeared. My friend complained that she wasn't able to find my house because she knew she was supposed to turn after the speed bump. "How can they remove a landmark?" she demanded.

I don't know, it's just a strange phenomenon. Another one is the optional stop signs. And yes, here in West Virginia they do exist! Growing up in Nebraska they were just a myth perpetuated to torture beginning drivers.

Throughout the state are stop signs with additional signs that say "Except when turning right," hence optional stop signs. I can't help smiling as I press the gas and speed through the stop sign. It reminds me of sitting in the car with my dad. He would have one of his feet on the dash board, the other one wedged against the window, holding on for dear life to the hand rest, breathing deeply.

"I'm going to start the car now, dad," I'd warn him. He hadn't quite recovered from his previous driving experience with me. I'd barrelled through a stop sign without even the slightest thought of yielding. "It's okay, there's a white rim around it, it's optional," I'd told him confidently, practically giving him a heart attack. Needless to say I was given time off from my driving practice and the boys who had told me the little nugget about the stop signs, were given a talking to...Ahhh, memories. So, you can see why it's so validating to come here and find that optional stop signs really do exist! Woo hoo!