So…uh…where ya from?

While watching one of the latest Geico gecko commercials, I was hit with a thought..completely apropos of nothing…when asked, where do you say YOU are from?

Follow my line of reasoning here…

The commercial made me think of the saying “Don’t mess with Texas”. And as I thought of it, I realized, no matter if you are from Dallas, Houston, San Antonio or even way down south in Victoria (my grandfather’s home town), you say you are from Texas. And damn proud of it. Not, “I’m from Victoria”. The PRIDE of ownership is in the word “Texas”.

But folks from Philly don’t say they are from Pennsylvania…they say “I’m from Philly.” That is answer enough. I’m sure its the same for people from Pittsburgh…although it might be different if you’e from Allentown or Altoona.

I’ve lived in New Jersey for the past 25 years or so, and even though I am originally from Colorado (I don’t say “from Colorado Springs” for some reason…), I consider myself as being “from Jersey”. Ask me, while I am away somewhere, “Where ya from?” and I’ll respond without thinking, “I’m from Jersey.” And damn proud of it.

Now I will grant you, North Jersey folks identify more with New York City, South Jersey folks (like me) more with Philly, and Central Jersey folks pick one or the other to avoid saying they live anywhere near Trenton. But we all say, “I’m from Jersey.”

Then again, if you say, “I’m from New York.” no one ever says, “Near Buffalo?”. Because “New York” means the 5 boroughs of New York City. Anywhere else is “I’m from Long Island” or “I’m from Upstate New York”.

What makes us self-identify with a certain place-name over any others do you think? People from both sides of the Virginia / Maryland line may say, “I’m from DC” even if they don’t live in the city limits, or even work there…

So what do YOU think?

And by the way….

Where ya from?