My home town of Lexington, Kentucky may be called the “Thoroughbred Capital of the World,” but as we in the Blue Grass realize that Derby Day is fast-approaching, we find ourselves, also, racing toward literary laurels that were far from expected.
Last year Lexington found itself on the fast track to a rather unfortunate reputation. Some of you might remember a post I did in the summer celebrating my home town’s ranking by Men’s Health Magazine as America’s most sedentary city. In fact, my amazingly lazy Lexington even made the Colbert Report and was awarded the highly coveted “Reacher-Grabber Award.”
As of last week, however, Lexington seems to have overcome that rather dubious designation, as an article at Atlantic.com identified my home town as the most e-literate city in America.
Last year’s “award” may have reinforced the stereotype that Kentuckians are lazy-ass, barefoot fools, but this year’s commendation makes us look a whole lot smarter.
In Gulliver’s Travels, the protagonist travels to a land of intelligent and talking horses and brutishly ignorant people, known as Yahoos, who smell bad and barely bathe. Lexington’s novel designation, however, seems to suggest that the horses here in Kentucky may have a monopoly on speed but not on intelligence.
We Lexingtonians may be lounging in our living rooms consuming endless bags of Lays, but we recline with e-reader in hand–not racing to the library to check out the latest New York Time’s best seller. We don’t even need the Reacher-Grabber Colbert awarded us. We simply strain our index fingers, downloading books with the push of a button.
We readers from the city of sloth allow our town to retain its reputation as a place where only the horses run fast–or run at all, for that matter. The rest of us avoid-sweat-at-all-costs Kentuckians, rather than running for the roses, read our way to the finish line.
At least the world now knows that Kentuckians can, indeed, read, even if shoes are sometimes optional.
Kathryn M. McCullough 
Once again, you’ve opened the door into a world others either only imagine or already think they know — well done! MJ
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Thanks, MJ. I’m afraid, though, that you might be giving me more credit here than I deserve. I’m not alone in my Kentucky expereince–wish I were–but, unfortunately, I’m not. Yikes!
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Well done! Let’s hear it for Lexington, reading its way to the finish line!
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Glad you enjoyed the post. Only in Kentucky. Thanks, so much for reading, Renee.
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see- everyone is just too busy reading to get up and exercise!
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Clearly, that’s the lazy-ass truth about Kentucky.
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A very witty and clever write…now where are you all going to place all those awards? 🙂
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Thanks, Charlie. Glad you enjoyed this one. I had fun with it. It was weird coming upon the article about e-literacy. Who would have thought?
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Clever. If the price of being well read is being defined as lazy, I’ll take that title everyday. Shoes are optional here in Virginia as well. 🙂
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I’d take lazy, as well. God knows I could never give up reading. Glad to know Virginia allows for bare feet. I’m not big fan of wearing much other than flip-flops. Thanks for reading, Colleen.
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I like downloading books with the push of a button! I hope your Kentuckians continue to enjoy it! 🙂
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It is an amazing convenience isn’t it? Don’t know how I would have survived living in Vietnam if it weren’t for my Kindle.
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They could always download “The Big Book of Exercises”…
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Toooooo funny, my friend!
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Reading is good.
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Reading is awesome! God, what would I do without the ability to read?
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lol, Kathy. A rare humorous post from you! Me like!
As a displaced southern girl myself, I am way more often barefoot than shod. 🙂 Personally, there was a time when Kentucky was nothing but farmland, and I don’t know anyone that works as hard as farmers. So, maybe it’s just break time, no?
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Maybe it is break time–but certainly not time to break a sweat. Ha, ha. Glad you enjoyed my forray into humor.
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Shoes are overrated you know. I guess I would fit into Lexington really well. 😉
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You fit in with us Lexingtonians even if you wear shoes. You fit in period, my friend! Miss you around here.
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Ah, the dichotomy of Lexington. It seems to me you and your state-mates have it all figured out, and are, indeed, smarter than the rest of us! I will join you in your bid to read your way to any looming finish lines, it’s the best way to travel.
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It’s the only way to travel. Kentucky is in a number of ways a study in extremes, I suppose. Actually, hadn’t thought about that too much, but it is.
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I have never truly been to Kentucky yet I hear it is green and pretty. Nice post!
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It’s very green, though here in central Kentucky, in what’s called the Bluegrass region of the state, many believe the grass has slightly blusish hue. You will have to visit one day. Sara and I would be happy to show you around!
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Oh Kathy! Someday!!!! 🙂
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Cool.
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OK, I’m thinking I need to kick off a cross-country book tour in good ol’ Lexington, KY. I can promote the heck out of the Kindle version of No Time For Kings…and, I have a place to stay! Of course, I’ll need to bring along my trusty assistant, Ms. Cutler. 🙂
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When will you all arrive? You can even pick your favorite guest room. And we can tour bourbon distilleries. Seriously, we’d love you all to come.
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The thing I love about Kentucky, other than my numerous relatives there, is the drive-through liquor stores…………..
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How have I missed the drive-through liquor stores? We also have drive-through betting at the race track. That one really gets me. Thanks for reading, Andra.
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I drove through Lexington last week on my way home from the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop! I’d never been to Kentucky before but the people there were so amazingly nice to us. I fell in love with the place. The beautiful landscape didn’t hurt either!
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Yes, the landscape is gorgeous–especially in the spring. Wish I’d known you were here. We’d have shown you around. Oh, well. Maybe next time.
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Now I suddenly have the urge to lie on a couch and read (the back of a package of Lay’s).
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That could have dire digestive consequences for you, my friend. Hope you have a great weekend. And stay away from the Lays.
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Im defiantly getting myself a reacher grabber , will come in very handy …. 😉
Xx Kel
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Certainly a multi-purpose award, isn’t it? Happy weekend, Kel!
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So your hometown embraces e-readers? That’s fantastic! The joy of reading. Can there be anything better? I love Colbert, but I don’t remember the award. Was that given this week? Colbert’s on my TiVo, and will hopefully watch this weekend. 🙂
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Actually, the Colbert segment was on last summer. The article from Atlantic.com was this past week. Hard to beat reading, isn’t it? Hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend.
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You are hiliarious … and I LOVE the Colbert report .. how did I miss this?
Those stupid online polls are ridiculous. I’m SURE that Mississippians have you beat my a country mile at sitting on your ass. They win everything, darn it!
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Glad this one made you laugh, Betty. The polls are, indeed, pretty crazy, as I can guarantee that e-literacy is a hell of lot higher in other places. Oh, well. Hope you have a great weekend.
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Every single person I have every known from Kentucky has been lovely, kind, and intelligent.
My grandpa was from Salt Lick, Kentucky. Not to be confused with Salt Lake, Utah.
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Oh, my–Salt Lick–I would never have guessed that. Now, that’s country, indeed–but truly–folks there are the salt of the earth. Couldn’t agree with you more, my friend!
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Great piece — my hat’s off to you!
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Thanks, Laurie. So glad you enjoyed it. Hope you have a lovely weekend————
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Haha– I had forgotten about the coveted Reacher Grabber award, but it all makes perfect sense now– everyone in Kentucky is too busy reading e-books and can’t be interrupted long enough to get active and/or break a sweat. Thank you for unraveling this mystery for us! 😉
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At least we have a good, literary excuse for our laziness. Hope Colbert does an update that makes sense of our sloth!
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It’s hard to believe any generalizations. Lots of folks think people from the UP are illiterate, and, well, I won’t add any more descriptions. I continually find people who are incredibly different from the mold. Thank goodness!
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Yes, yes, Kathy, thank God for all of us who deviate from the mold! It’s the deviation that makes the world interesting! Hope you are having a lovely Sunday, my friend.
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Shoes are over rated.
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Amen!
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As someone who loves to read, I can understand this. It’s really difficult to walk, run, bike, or exercise in any other way while reading. Unless, of course, you switch to audio books, but that’s not reading. It’s listening. 🙂
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Yes, reading is a sedentary activity. Though I have to admit, I’ve figured out how to read on a Kindle while on my stepper or stationary bike. Took some getting used to, but with a Kindle I can increase the font size so it’s easier to see while moving.
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I guess it’s better to be generalized as well-read and intelligent than to be generalized as lazy!
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I think so. And maybe if Kentuckians are well-read, it makes up for our inherent sloth?
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