but will there be any country boys left?
I have always enjoyed Hank Williams Junior's music and this song in particular (along with his Monday Night Football theme) and I have been thinking of writing this for several weeks.
The song, for those of you unfamilar with it talks about the independent nature of young men who grow up in the country. They learn to make due,say sir, mam, respect their elders and grow up living with nature,not needing all the trapings of modern society to survive (though I would miss my ESPN.)
What is alarming, when you look at the changing demographics in rural America is how few of the boys and for that matter young ladies are actually staying in the country. The jobs that made rural living viable are now in China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, etc. and they are not likely to return. This increasingly drives them to abandon their rural heritage and head for urban areas where most of the jobs are congregating.
Many people have written that this is normal evolution, I think there is nothing normal about it and it is leading to a large imbalance that needs to be addressed. There is something magical about the largeness of our countryside and the characters that have tamed it or at least tried too. Cities are ok but I can always go to town for entertainment and then return to the quiet countryside, to relax.
As an economic developer in a small community, I and a few other hardy souls are battling against the tide to keep our area viable. To keep the tax base solid, to create jobs that pay a living wage and create opportunities that will allow our brightest and best remain in the county and not have to relocate to survive. We want country boys and girls to have the opportunity to maintain their heritage and keep their close ties with nature. Only moving away because of choice and not necessity.
Let me know if you would like to help! A country boy can survive ut not if they become extinct!
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