Michigan: Having Never Been There
James Hodges
This is what I know about Michigan, having never been there.
I have met many people from Michigan, the land of cars. Detroit, I know, is the
motor city, the birth place of the automobile industry and Motown. I do enjoy a
little Motown every now and again, however I more often than not listen to The
Commitments; Ireland's take on Motown.
I'm told that some of the best apples and cherries come from
Michigan. When buying fruit from the grocery store I don't notice where it comes
from, so I'm not sure if I have ever had a Michigan apple or cherry. However if
you like Frosted Flakes, and who doesn't, Kellogg's is in Battle Creek.
It is the only state that looks like a body part. Well, part
of it. When I've met people from Michigan they tend to hold up their right hand
and point to the part that they are from. This is a brilliant way to illustrate
where you are from, provided the geography of Michigan means something to you.
It works for everyone from Michigan except those people from
the mysterious U.P., the Upper Peninsula. I know little about this place having
never met anyone from it. Although, a friend did go camping up in the Porcupine
Mountains, which apparently are rolling hills not mountains.
I know that Jeff Daniels has a farm there where he raises his
kids, in the non livestock sort of way. While not raising he sings the blues to
save a theater, so says i-tunes. Michael Moore the activist film maker is also
from Michigan, Flint to be exact, the town that Ford forgot. Or was it General
Motors? I didn't really pay attention to Rodger and Me, but I did enjoy TV
Nation.
The last thing that I know of Michigan is the militias. The
weird quasi military cult of gun toting people who have something to say
although I'm not sure what. So Michigan? It's there. Not demanding attention
like some other states. It has two parts, fruit, cereal, actors and activists,
Motown and militias and it raised some really good friends of mine; who left.
That is my point of view, having never been there.
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Kristen Kaniewski