Caroline's post on being from "flyover country" started an important conversation among those of us who do not come from either coast of the United States. As a proud citizen of Arizona (which is turning 100 years old on Valentine's Day!), I have some thoughts of my own on being from "flyover country."
When I consider those of us from the interior, a question comes to mind. It's one that, when I ask many of my non-coastal friends, produces a lot of defensiveness and discomfort. That question is whether we owe anything to our home states, especially since many of us might feel as if our success is built upon our leaving them.
Perhaps it's the word "owed," but people get all in a tizzy at the prospect of having to give back to a community that helped raise them. But I think there's a strong case for giving back—if not a moral imperative to do so.
