'Advice' List for Folks Moving to TN Could Apply to KY as Well

I've written about the stereotypes that exist about Kentuckians. Always barefoot, everyone marries their cousin, we all like basketball (well, I do). You get the idea.

But we can't believe that lists of stereotypes ONLY exist for Kentucky. I'm thinking there are probably 50 of those lists if you know what I mean. And some of them could apply to multiple states. I say that because I came across a list of pieces of advice for anyone moving to Tennessee, and for so many items ON that list, you could very easily replace "Tennessee" with "Kentucky."

Ricky Shelton was the mayor of Cookeville TN from 2014 through 2022, and he has hit the nail right on the head for Kentuckians, even IF the list he posted is about Tennessee. So I thought I'd highlight a few of his more salient points...the ones that apply to the Commonwealth, too.

And we'll start with bacon grease. How many times have you seen a coffee can full of bacon grease sitting on your mom's or your grandmother's stove...or even your own? And yes, it HAS to be in a coffee can or it just doesn't count.

Then there's the phrase, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." If I've said that once, I've said it a million times. And I mean it. It can be 73 degrees outside, but I'll sweat like crazy if the humidity is high. Conversely, on an 89-degree day, if the humidity is low, I'm fine. For me, it's ALWAYS the humidity. A friend of mine once told me that he doesn't believe there's fire in hell; he believes it's 95% humidity.

On a similar note, I find myself looking for shade when I park my car. I don't mind the walk if I don't return to a vehicle that's 1,000 degrees on the inside. Now that's a problem in the parking lots of big box stores or supermarkets, but I'll even take the shade from one of those little trees. Every little bit counts.

Here, see what you can pick out from this list that also applies to Kentucky:

I think #20 goes for every state that has farmland, which is probably every state. It never fails. You WILL encounter a tractor if you're running late for anything. You will NOT if you have all the time in the world.

I also happen to know #19 applies to New Mexico. In fact, my Uncle Charles was the first person I saw do that sort of thing when I was a kid. And, seriously, ever since then, when we've been out West, I watch for it, and it never fails. It doesn't even have to be a wave of the hand. Sometimes just your forefinger.

Gang, I could go on and on, but there's the list right there. Enjoy. Pass it along. Your cousin in Arkansas probably will recognize a lot of that, too.