Defining the Appalachian Lifestyle

Appalachian life is beautiful. The lifestyle is tied to nature, community and perseverance. The problem is there are many negative stereotypes associated with the way of life and the people who come from the region. My hope and mission with this blog is to shed light on what an amazing, enriched area of the country Appalachia truly is. Breaking away from the medias portrayal and showing what it really means to be from this area. There is no denying that the area has some serious hurdles to overcome, such as rampant drug addiction, lack of opportunity and poverty. But we cannot define the entire region based on only these negative aspects.

Through perseverance the people of Appalachia continue to move forward and have created a lifestyle defined by strong convictions, family bonds, care for neighbors, and deep set traditions. But who knows about this lifestyle? If you do a basic online search or go off of mainstream media you will find nothing but dumb, toothless hillbillies. I challenge you to forget this stupid stereotype and learn to embrace the Appalachian lifestyle. A lifestyle of living by your convictions, living by the cycles of nature, loving those around you and preserving the history and area where you’re from.

So what makes up the Appalachian Life?

1. God – The majority of those in Appalachia have strong religious convictions and beliefs. Drive through any area and you will find small churches scattered across the area. Churches provide a community gathering place and encourage those in the area to live right and pursue the promises of God.
2. Superstitions – As religious we can all be is as superstitious as we can be. An itchy ear, the day you do your laundry, the way the wind blows can all be interpreted to be telling us something or warning us.
3. Family – The family is central to the Appalachian life. Appalachians are loyal to family to a fault. Life is hard and through these hardships those who live in the region understand they must look out for each other. Family dinners, close relationships, and many families living in close proximity for decades is common.
4. Hard Work – A full day of hard work is normal here. Farmers, coal miners, constructions jobs, service jobs…we all understand that we need to get the job done and put food on the table. Many of us are taught to work hard and not be lazy. I always recall my mom saying when they were growing up they didn’t have much, but my Papaw would make all the kids walk the roads around the farm picking up trash left by others. He worked hard and took pride in keeping his place nice. You cant make it without working hard for the life you want.
5. Resourcefulness – Jobs and money can be scarce. Appalachians live by “make do and waste not”. Frugality is part of our nature. Learning how to do what needs done is normal. We pay attention to what our elders teach and learn to do what needs to be done. We reach out to our neighbors to to help and repay the favor when needed.
6. Community – Many people I know live by golden rule…Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I could go to many neighbors and community members and ask for help and find many willing hands. Appalachians understand the importance of their community and work hard to maintain and grow their communities is an ever changing world.
7. Nature – The Appalachian life is tied to the natural world. Through hunting and gathering, growing gardens, farms, animals, home remedies and weather those who live here would feel out of sorts if not connect to nature.
8. Home Cooking – Home cooked meals is a centerpiece in Appalachian living. There is nothing more comforting than coming home after a long, hard work day and eating a hot, filling meal with your family around the table. Home grown vegetables, fruits, hunted meats, local farm goods, and passed down recipes make for many delicious meals.
9. Simple Living – Life isn’t moving to fast in Appalachia. Those here enjoy the simple things like cold drinks on the front porch, hiking through the woods, dinner around the table, working in the yard or having neighbors over for a visit and some gossip.
10. History – Those from the area know their history. They remember what made the small towns of Appalachian great. Coal, mostly coal, but many other industries such as bricks, pottery, agriculture, logging, and so much more. Today we are seeing changes and fighting to maintain some of these long held industries.

Of course this is far from an exhausted list, but I hope it begins to pull you away from long set stereotypes that paint our areas as backwards and stupid. Sure we are untrusting of strangers, but once we get to know you we will accept you like family. If you need help we will help or direct you in the right direction. We value our families and community and want to protect them. I hope that you can begin to see that the Appalachian lifestyle is a beautiful way to live.