Wistful expatriates let country roads take them home
The song "Country Roads" gets played a lot at concerts both big and small. It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and an easy way to get a standing ovation during the encore. The bittersweet lyrics speak to something all too common: a West Virginian somewhere far away wishing he were home.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The song "Country Roads" gets played a lot at concerts both big and small. It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and an easy way to get a standing ovation during the encore. The bittersweet lyrics speak to something all too common: a West Virginian somewhere far away wishing he were home.
The absence of these children from the mountains is something, too, the people left behind talk about. Why do they leave? How do we get them to come home?
Jack Griffith believes the state has a wealth of artistic talent that’s not always publicly supported.
In his State of the State address in January, Gov. Manchin spoke of this. He said, "As everyone knows, our best resource has always been our people - and not just those who are here today living and working in West Virginia, but those who were born or raised in West Virginia and have left the state because they felt they had no other choice in order to make a living. Unfortunately, we are all guilty of teaching an entire generation that they couldn't find a good job in West Virginia, so don't even bother trying."
Leaving home
K.D. Lett was part of that generation. Right after he graduated from South Charleston High School in 1993, he left for Pittsburgh to study photography and multimedia. He never really planned on coming home - at least not to stay. He knew what he wanted to do, but there didn't seem to be much the state could offer him, not if he wanted to take photographs for a living.
"I always spoke highly of West Virginia," he said. "I even brought people back with me when I came to visit. Everyone was just so amazed at how absolutely beautiful, how just gorgeous the state is. I just didn't think I could make a living here."
Jeff James felt the same way. James grew up in Gilmer County, where his father taught classes at Glenville State. Right after he graduated from WVU in 1990, he was recruited to work in the marketing department of a small software company called Microsoft.
"They were a pretty small company back then," James laughed. "It was still the kind of opportunity I didn't think could exist here."
Of course, leaving home for the big city or for better opportunities somewhere else isn't a specific problem of any single generation or even only a problem facing West Virginia. Guitarist Jack Griffith grew up in Charleston, played music with local bands from the mid-'60s to the late '70s then left in 1979 to pursue music.
"I was young and I wanted a career," he said. "I watched talented guys bang their head against the walls playing the same three clubs. I didn't want to be one of them."
Griffith found a career in rock 'n' roll, playing guitar with the Novo Combo. The band released a pair of albums, toured with The Who, Cheap Trick and Greg Lake and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. He lived in New York, Los Angeles and Japan.
The three men say there was never any shortage of reasons to come home to West Virginia. Their family and friends were here. They knew the history and were part of the culture. There was always a kind of built-in drive to return, something they struggled with the entire time they were away. The problem was always the money.
Coming back
While the numbers are hard to pin down, some of the people who leave do come back. Griffith came back in 1996. James returned in 2005 and Lett relocated in 2006. Each had their reasons to come home. Griffith fell in love and decided to start a family. James wanted to start a business, and Lett wanted some stability in his life.
Kim Harbour is the director of marketing and communication for the West Virginia Department of Commerce. After the governor's speech, her department enacted a campaign called "Come Home to West Virginia" to encourage West Virginia's expatriates to come home, bring their families and their businesses.
Harbour says they're already seeing interest. Part of what keeps people away is perception. West Virginia is typically known for two things: coal and tourism. She says there is a lot more here.
"We have all the quality-of-life stuff," she said. "We're safer, cleaner and a less expensive place to live than other parts of the country. We also have growing industries and lots of space for opportunity."
Jeff James agrees.
"Seriously," James said, "when I left here in 1990, it was hard for me to picture me doing anything more here than managing a retail store. Of course, that wasn't the case. I just didn't know what was possible then."
James owns Mythology LLC, a marketing and consulting firm. He also leads Create West Virginia (createwv.com), a grass-roots organization trying to encourage entrepreneurial growth. In 2005, he returned to the state with the intention of starting his own business. In the beginning, he kept his job with Microsoft and, with the help of a good Internet connection and Yeager Airport, was able to commute between Charleston and Seattle. A year ago, he left Microsoft to devote more time to his business and his organization.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The song "Country Roads" gets played a lot at concerts both big and small. It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and an easy way to get a standing ovation during the encore. The bittersweet lyrics speak to something all too common: a West Virginian somewhere far away wishing he were home.
The absence of these children from the mountains is something, too, the people left behind talk about. Why do they leave? How do we get them to come home?
In his State of the State address in January, Gov. Manchin spoke of this. He said, "As everyone knows, our best resource has always been our people - and not just those who are here today living and working in West Virginia, but those who were born or raised in West Virginia and have left the state because they felt they had no other choice in order to make a living. Unfortunately, we are all guilty of teaching an entire generation that they couldn't find a good job in West Virginia, so don't even bother trying."
Leaving home
K.D. Lett was part of that generation. Right after he graduated from South Charleston High School in 1993, he left for Pittsburgh to study photography and multimedia. He never really planned on coming home - at least not to stay. He knew what he wanted to do, but there didn't seem to be much the state could offer him, not if he wanted to take photographs for a living.
"I always spoke highly of West Virginia," he said. "I even brought people back with me when I came to visit. Everyone was just so amazed at how absolutely beautiful, how just gorgeous the state is. I just didn't think I could make a living here."
Jeff James felt the same way. James grew up in Gilmer County, where his father taught classes at Glenville State. Right after he graduated from WVU in 1990, he was recruited to work in the marketing department of a small software company called Microsoft.
"They were a pretty small company back then," James laughed. "It was still the kind of opportunity I didn't think could exist here."
Of course, leaving home for the big city or for better opportunities somewhere else isn't a specific problem of any single generation or even only a problem facing West Virginia. Guitarist Jack Griffith grew up in Charleston, played music with local bands from the mid-'60s to the late '70s then left in 1979 to pursue music.
"I was young and I wanted a career," he said. "I watched talented guys bang their head against the walls playing the same three clubs. I didn't want to be one of them."
Griffith found a career in rock 'n' roll, playing guitar with the Novo Combo. The band released a pair of albums, toured with The Who, Cheap Trick and Greg Lake and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. He lived in New York, Los Angeles and Japan.
The three men say there was never any shortage of reasons to come home to West Virginia. Their family and friends were here. They knew the history and were part of the culture. There was always a kind of built-in drive to return, something they struggled with the entire time they were away. The problem was always the money.
Coming back
While the numbers are hard to pin down, some of the people who leave do come back. Griffith came back in 1996. James returned in 2005 and Lett relocated in 2006. Each had their reasons to come home. Griffith fell in love and decided to start a family. James wanted to start a business, and Lett wanted some stability in his life.
Kim Harbour is the director of marketing and communication for the West Virginia Department of Commerce. After the governor's speech, her department enacted a campaign called "Come Home to West Virginia" to encourage West Virginia's expatriates to come home, bring their families and their businesses.
Harbour says they're already seeing interest. Part of what keeps people away is perception. West Virginia is typically known for two things: coal and tourism. She says there is a lot more here.
"We have all the quality-of-life stuff," she said. "We're safer, cleaner and a less expensive place to live than other parts of the country. We also have growing industries and lots of space for opportunity."
Jeff James agrees.
"Seriously," James said, "when I left here in 1990, it was hard for me to picture me doing anything more here than managing a retail store. Of course, that wasn't the case. I just didn't know what was possible then."
James owns Mythology LLC, a marketing and consulting firm. He also leads Create West Virginia (createwv.com), a grass-roots organization trying to encourage entrepreneurial growth. In 2005, he returned to the state with the intention of starting his own business. In the beginning, he kept his job with Microsoft and, with the help of a good Internet connection and Yeager Airport, was able to commute between Charleston and Seattle. A year ago, he left Microsoft to devote more time to his business and his organization.
He says the state has a lot of creative energy it can exploit, but it needs to embrace the 21st century and new ideas.
Lett said this was partly what made it possible for him to return. He says coming back was something he considered for a long time before he decided to try it. He was living in Miami when he decided he needed a change. Where his career was, the next logical step was to go to California. It was a big decision, so he came home to recharge his batteries before heading out west.
"I met Steve Blackwell," he said. "He was just this very positive guy. He and some other creative, upbeat people encouraged me to take a look around. I landed a few jobs, and I started thinking, 'Could I possibly stay here?'"
It turned out he could. He's found the city and the state to be receptive to what he does. He doesn't make his entire living through assignments in the state, but he's a photographer. Travel was always part of the job for him. It's actually one of the perks. He gets both. He likes being home and close to the people he grew up with and it's nice to get away.
Griffith follows a similar path. A professional rock musician who has played with the likes of Carlos Santana and done extensive studio work, Griffith has a small studio in his home. He records music for commercials, teaches local guitar students, writes songs and makes the occasional trip to New York to work with other artists. It's a far cry from the wild ways during the height of his rock-'n'-roll days, but it's comfortable. He loves spending time with his family.
The more things change, the more they stay the same
None of the three says the state has changed radically during the time they were gone. The landscape is essentially the same. The people are the same they grew up with or have known all their lives. How they look at things has changed.
"I'd say more has changed since I've been back over the past two years, than what changed while I was out west," James said.
Griffith agrees.
"To me," he said. "Charleston has always been three or four places with live music and a bunch of bands trying to play there - at least, it's been that way since the '70s."
Of course, returning to live in West Virginia isn't perfect. James says there's resistance in the state to moving forward. It's hard to embrace the future when you're clutching the past. Coal is still king and holds sway over the hearts and minds of the people of the state.
Griffith wonders openly about some of the people who make decisions, particularly about funding the arts. He believes the state tends to support fine arts, but ignores street art, the kind people like him represent.
"We've got the wrong people driving the bus," he said. "To make the arts work, you kind of want the crazy artists running things, not the bankers."
Lett says the social scene leaves a bit to be desired. He'd like to see a few more interesting places to spend time with his friends.
Everyone has to find their own way home
Moving away, they say, was a good thing. It gave them something to bring back. Getting away from the mountains for a while expanded their horizons. Each had adventures of a kind. Griffith was part of big-league rock 'n' roll. Lett got involved with the fast-paced world of high fashion. James was involved with a company that helped radically change the world. They recommend leaving, particularly if you're young.
James said, "I would say moving outside of West Virginia, at least for a little while, is a good way to get exposed to different kinds of perspectives."
"I think you can't help yourself," Lett said. "If you've got it in your heart, you've just got to explore. I remember I used to look at a map at night, just look at it and wonder what it was like in Montana. Well, I know."
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Posted By: Anonymous(5:15pm 10-07-2008)
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My family and I are planning to move back to WV within the next year. I left in 1996 to move to South Carolina, where I met my husband. We both love WV and can't wait to return, but we're having a hard time figuing out how to make it work for us. Anyone have any tips for making the move a smooth one? Also, how can I access the information referred to in the story about the new program through the state for people returning to WV?
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