Talking incessantly of what is good about West Virginia and the United States and dismissing what is troubling about both has become as annoying as talking incessantly about the unpleasantness that blankets us.

Toxic positivity is as damaging as focusing on only what ails us. Neither stance produces much value, because there is no balance. And moving from one to the other often creates the feeling of being pulled by an uncomfortable force that becomes exhausting.

Remember, “Everything in moderation, nothing in excess.” Gotta love those Greek philosophers. And as I recall these certain words, I recall the teeter-totter (or the seesaw, depending on the region of the country where you grew up) and seek instead to balance. Sure, it was grand to be at the end of that playground equipment that

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