Oh hey, remember us? This is where you came from...rural America. Since you seem to have forgotten that we existed until recently, let me fill you in on who we are.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 19.3% of Americans live in rural areas. That doesn't really sound like much, but the way the census determines rural areas means just the reaaallly rural bits. Many people from "the country" would consider themselves a part of rural America, even if they have population dense areas somewhere around them.

Did you know that we have our own television shows, magazines, and newspapers? You probably haven't heard of them, but to us, being featured on RFD-TV, in the Capital Press, or in Progressive Farmer is a big deal. We may be spread out across the nation, but there's a lot of stuff we have in common, regardless of the geography.

We value hard work. A nine to five job five days a week may be your definition of full time, but for many folks outside of the urban centers, the work week is longer. The satisfaction of knowing you did a good day's work is quite unlike any other, and it's something that we've managed to hang on to.

We value community. A lot of small towns have a reputation for gossip, but in rural America, we know that not all gossip is malicious. These tight-knit communities know the majority of the happenings in each others' lives because we genuinely care about one another.

We value the lessons learned in the past. Our families are often proud of our history and share the stories of those who came before as a way to teach younger generations so that they don't make the same mistakes as we will.

We value the future. You may think that we're backwoods, out of the loop, and unrealistic, but we don't completely have our heads shoved in the sand. We know the world is changing rapidly, and that's why we work hard to ensure that the good we see in the world is preserved, even as we bring in the new.

We take care of one another. Rural areas are often beyond the reach of government resources and programs that get implemented in cities. This means that people take care of their friends and family during hard times. Whether it's filling their freezer with casseroles, harvesting the neighbor's crop when they're sick, or loaning your time and resources, the community will pitch in.

To be honest, this is hard to write because how can I explain to you all of the intangible things that make rural America something so dear to my heart? I run the risk of reducing us to stereotypes and cliches that are easily shoved to the back of your mind. Don't think we're just a country song or a reality television show like Duck Dynasty (as great as it is). Rural America is made up of real people, with real stories, just as urban America is not just a faceless swarm of people in a concrete jungle. We are one nation, we've just forgotten to look at the other side of our reflection. Please, get to know us.

Sincerely,

Rural America