Every time I’m away from home and meet someone who asks where I’m from, I get some predictable responses when I say “Nebraska.” The most common (and really, the most annoying) is “I’m sorry.” That’s not funny, no matter how much the other person insists that it is. But I also get a lot of questions about my home state – these are the most common.
- Where is that, anyway?
flickr/Adam Maybe you should check with your elementary school teachers - they’d probably be happy to go over your US geography lessons again.
- But isn’t that all just cornfields out there?
flickr/Ali Eminov Absolutely not! We also grow soybeans, hay, and cows here.
- Don’t you have a big zoo out there or something?
flickr/Asten Not just a big zoo - the best zoo in THE WORLD. Suck it, every other zoo.
- Do you have electricity there?
flickr/samantha celera This isn’t the Wild West anymore. We’ve had electricity for several years now. Indoor plumbing, too.
- Does everyone ride their horses everywhere?
flickr/Ali Eminov I guess some people choose to ride horses recreationally or for work, but for most of us that’s a little impractical.
- Well, if you don’t ride horses, do you at least drive tractors all over?
flickr/Overduebook Again, a special type of Nebraskan DOES do this, but most of us prefer cars or bikes.
- Does everyone live on farms?
flickr/Rich Now you’re just being silly.
- Oh, you’re from [small town]? Do you know [some person I kind of know]?
flickr/McBeth Why would you assume that just because I’m from a small town, I would know everyone else who lives – oh, wait. Actually, yeah, I think I went to school with his cousin.
- Are you all like children of the corn there?
flickr/Brennan I’ve never really understood this question. If you mean to ask if we’re all creepy, blonde, murderous kids…no. If you want to know if we all amuse ourselves by running around in cornfields all day…also no.
- How do you live in a place where there’s nothing to do?
flickr/Rich There’s plenty to do, I swear. We’ve got endless natural attractions, great shops and restaurants, and there’s almost always some kind of festival going on somewhere.
- So you must really like Omaha Steaks, huh?
flickr/Jack Black’s Stunt Double No, that’s the stuff we send out of the state. We keep the good beef for ourselves.
- How mad are you about this season the Huskers are having?
flickr/Brian Cook I don’t even really follow football, but even I know enough not to comment on this one.
Have you had similar experiences? What are the questions people always ask you when they find out you’re from Nebraska? Let us know in the comments.
flickr/Adam
Maybe you should check with your elementary school teachers - they’d probably be happy to go over your US geography lessons again.
flickr/Ali Eminov
Absolutely not! We also grow soybeans, hay, and cows here.
flickr/Asten
Not just a big zoo - the best zoo in THE WORLD. Suck it, every other zoo.
flickr/samantha celera
This isn’t the Wild West anymore. We’ve had electricity for several years now. Indoor plumbing, too.
I guess some people choose to ride horses recreationally or for work, but for most of us that’s a little impractical.
flickr/Overduebook
Again, a special type of Nebraskan DOES do this, but most of us prefer cars or bikes.
flickr/Rich
Now you’re just being silly.
flickr/McBeth
Why would you assume that just because I’m from a small town, I would know everyone else who lives – oh, wait. Actually, yeah, I think I went to school with his cousin.
flickr/Brennan
I’ve never really understood this question. If you mean to ask if we’re all creepy, blonde, murderous kids…no. If you want to know if we all amuse ourselves by running around in cornfields all day…also no.
There’s plenty to do, I swear. We’ve got endless natural attractions, great shops and restaurants, and there’s almost always some kind of festival going on somewhere.
flickr/Jack Black’s Stunt Double
No, that’s the stuff we send out of the state. We keep the good beef for ourselves.
flickr/Brian Cook
I don’t even really follow football, but even I know enough not to comment on this one.
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