Tales of a coffee-holic: Hit the road

Many of the Americans I encounter seem to think they know a lot about geography. Most of them are wrong.

When I lived in Denver and told anyone there that I was from Indiana, they would ask if I grew up in South Bend or Indianapolis. I had to reply, no, that I grew up about two hours from Indianapolis and five from South Bend. These people would often regale me of stories about relatives that lived in Indianapolis, like I somehow knew them or of the trip they took to South Bend.

I really don’t understand this practice. I have never even been to South Bend. I know close to nothing about it.

I think some people just want to seem like they know more than they do about the country in which they live, so they just spew out whatever random knowledge they have about the state in which you live or where you grew up, like it might impress you. The thing is, it does the opposite. It’s just obnoxious to be forced to listen stories about parts of the state that are quite different than the area with which you’re familiar.

I’m sure most of you in western Nebraska have had a very similar experience. When friends from out of state find out that I live in Nebraska, they always ask if I’m in Omaha or Lincoln. They then have to tell their story about those area, which I think we all know are very far removed from western Nebraska in population size, diversity, geography and weather patterns.

Someone from out of state, who I consider to be pretty intelligent, recently asked me if it would take about eight hours to drive to mid Wisconsin. The actual drive time would be about 13 hours. I think people from farther east underestimate how large states in the west truly are.

According to a 2011 report by the Department of Education fewer than one third of high school and elementary students were proficient in geography. Many of the articles written after this report blame too much time spent on smart phones and teaching for standardized tests for these low scores. Both could be true. However, I think most adults don’t know as much as they think they do about the geography of our country.

Many of my relatives from Indiana don’t have any idea what western Nebraska looks like. Why would they? Nebraska isn’t often featured in movies or on television and they’ve never been here. When I said I missed all the trees in Indiana, my family was surprised.

I don’t blame anyone for ignorance about a state to which they’ve never been. I just wish they wouldn’t act like Omaha and Lincoln are next door to Sidney.

I think the best way to get to know your country a little better is through regular road trips. My grandpa isn’t a fan of flying to a destination because he says you don’t see anything that way. I think he makes a good point. Flying is the perfect option if you simply want to get from one place to another. Road trips will give you an idea of the layout and culture of each state through which you travel and will introduce you to new places you’d never see if you traveled by air.

Get out and see the country this summer. You and your children might learn something surprising about a state you thought you knew.