Growing up in Appalachia

I'm a simple man, I don't have a lot of wants, or needs and I guess this is mainly due to my upbringing. I grew up in rural southeastern Kentucky, there wasn't a lot to do as a kid, you either played sports, sat around the house, or went out into the wilderness. Me and my cousins spent a lot of time outside, or played video games during the winter. I didn't mind it, hell I loved it, and I still do to this day, I prefer mountains and trees to blacktop and shopping malls. It isn't for everyone and I understand that.

Family is more important than money

One thing I was taught was that nothing was more important than family, of course my family was never rich. Most of my family worked in the coal mines, that was really the only decent paying jobs around here that didn't require a college education.

Of course I went straight to work after graduating high school

That was what everyone did around here, only a few people actually attended college, there are several reasons for this, but it was mostly because we either couldn't afford paying for college, or we couldn't afford to not work. Its a difficult place to live, very little money and now that the coal mines are gone there are no decent paying jobs left. To kind of give you an idea of how low the wages are here I worked in a prison making $8 and change an hour and that was one of the better paying jobs, and this wasn't years ago, this was just 4 years back.

Sure I could move

I have tried that, but these mountains mean more to me than a few extra zeros on a paycheck. I'll never be rich and I'm OK with that, I have a great family, great friends, a beautiful wife, loyal dogs and an old truck. That's all a man like me needs, would I like a new truck, sure, but that new truck will eventually be an old rust bucket, so I would rather spend that time with family, rather than work tons of OT just to buy a new ride.

I'm just a hillbilly

I know when most hear the word hillbilly they may automatically assume I'm dumb, racist, sexist, and countless other misconceptions, but I am none of those things. I'm just a man who likes the simple life, I am happy with my life and tho its a way of life most people would not want, its the only way I'll ever want to live.