Appalachian Living

Appalachian lifestyle is all I know. I’ve grown up around people who are independent, self-reliant, proud, neighborly, humble, modest, patriotic, and share a good sense of humor. Others may call these same people, hicks, rednecks, or hillbillies. I call them my friends and family. There are more pros than cons to this lifestyle but differences in culture styles.
    The main advantage as a bill payer, is the lower cost of living. We have lower taxes and gas prices then larger areas. You have your pick of heating sources, whether it be a wood stove, or natural gas. The water can come from a well or a spring. Housing and repairs are cheaper also.   People are a little handier so furniture and other structures get built with reclaimed wood. Many people build their homes out of logs and rough cut lumber.
    Schools are smaller, not a lot of kids per classroom. In my opinion, this would mean better learning because there’s not a lot of students all sharing one teacher. Education didn’t exist in the first few generations of Appalachia. It has definitely improved. The Appalachian area is still stereotyped to be under-educated because of their accents, made-up words, and mispronunciations. Back in the day, this happened because education wasn’t offered. People just concentrated on surviving. Men and women had to live off the land. Growing food, hunting, and inventing their own projects are just a few ways. The first day of hunting season is reserved for students as a day off from school to go hunt. A lot of other cultures may think this is a waste of a good school day.
    Today there aren’t many employment opportunities in this area. You can work at minimum wage jobs or a lot of men are born into a coal mining family, oil rigging, and farming. The possibility of a higher education is here but not a big chance for employment that pays over minimum wage. In a big city area, there are more businesses, which means more jobs. The disadvantage is the cost of living being...