It’s probably no secret to you that Ohioans are some of the toughest people you’ll ever meet. Here in Ohio, we don’t mess around, and it takes a lot to get us down. The following are 11 reasons why people from Ohio are unbelievably tough.

  1. Our winters could make the Abominable Snowman cry.

makeameme.org School closings don’t come easy and neither does spring. Thus, we’ve built up incredible endurance over the years.

  1. We drive in winter weather, unlike most.

vishpool/Flickr If we didn’t, we’d never leave our homes until April rolled around. (Or May. Depending on how long winter decides to linger.)

  1. We‘re always prepared. Always.

joeymanley/Flickr Because our seasons follow no predictable (or even logical) pattern, we dress and pack for all contingencies. You won’t catch us off guard.

  1. We aren’t crushed when things don’t go our way.

Mat_the_W/Flickr So the weather is nothing like the weatherman predicted and now we have to throw our graduation party inside? Big deal. What else is new?

  1. We roll with the punches.

5chw4r7z/Flickr Your route to work is STILL closed due to the construction that was supposed to be done in June of 2011? I mean, I’d be surprised if it WASN’T closed anymore. (The completion of construction is a mythical concept we’d all like to think could actually become a reality…)

  1. We’re self-sufficient.

Don O’Brien/Flickr We grow a lot of our own food—and if you’re Amish, you even build your own home from scratch. (We don’t waste time waiting for someone else to provide what we can provide for ourselves.)

  1. With a little practice, we’re good at dodging life’s bullets.

Mike/Flickr Here in Ohio, you can expect a deer to charge at your car—or stay standing directly in front of it—while driving down just about any type of road. (Interstates are no exception.) What you can’t always expect is that you will avoid them, but in time you learn to always be on guard. Always.

  1. We understand the amount of criticism and trash talk that comes with having an awesome team, and we can take it.

Gabe Taviano/Flickr (But really though.)

  1. We also know that, above all else, loyalty is what gets us through the hard times.

Chris Breeze/Flickr (No matter what the track records say.)

  1. We’re secure in who we are.

Shelia Scarborough/Flickr No matter how much you tell us we’re boring or that our Skyline Chili is gross; we know the truth. We know the truth and it doesn’t matter to us whether you do or not.

  1. We have to be.

Molly Germaine/Flickr If we want to thrive—not just survive—in the midst of our unpredictable weather patterns, endless construction and kamikaze deer, we don’t really have a choice. We have to be tough, so we are tough. Period.

So, what do you think? Are Ohioans unbelievably tough—or are all the other states just unbelievably soft? What else makes Ohioans tough? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

makeameme.org

School closings don’t come easy and neither does spring. Thus, we’ve built up incredible endurance over the years.

vishpool/Flickr

If we didn’t, we’d never leave our homes until April rolled around. (Or May. Depending on how long winter decides to linger.)

joeymanley/Flickr

Because our seasons follow no predictable (or even logical) pattern, we dress and pack for all contingencies. You won’t catch us off guard.

Mat_the_W/Flickr

So the weather is nothing like the weatherman predicted and now we have to throw our graduation party inside? Big deal. What else is new?

5chw4r7z/Flickr

Your route to work is STILL closed due to the construction that was supposed to be done in June of 2011? I mean, I’d be surprised if it WASN’T closed anymore. (The completion of construction is a mythical concept we’d all like to think could actually become a reality…)

Don O’Brien/Flickr

We grow a lot of our own food—and if you’re Amish, you even build your own home from scratch. (We don’t waste time waiting for someone else to provide what we can provide for ourselves.)

Mike/Flickr

Here in Ohio, you can expect a deer to charge at your car—or stay standing directly in front of it—while driving down just about any type of road. (Interstates are no exception.) What you can’t always expect is that you will avoid them, but in time you learn to always be on guard. Always.

Gabe Taviano/Flickr

(But really though.)

Chris Breeze/Flickr

(No matter what the track records say.)

Shelia Scarborough/Flickr

No matter how much you tell us we’re boring or that our Skyline Chili is gross; we know the truth. We know the truth and it doesn’t matter to us whether you do or not.

Molly Germaine/Flickr

If we want to thrive—not just survive—in the midst of our unpredictable weather patterns, endless construction and kamikaze deer, we don’t really have a choice. We have to be tough, so we are tough. Period.

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