Dear Blake,

I am attending my hubby’s 50th class reunion, where I will not know a soul. Can you give me suggestions on topics to talk about? We grew up in different areas of the country. We now live on a small farm in the countryside. Thank you.

Signed, Sarah
From Dryfork, West Virginia

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Dear Sarah,

You are obviously in a very awkward position. But considering where you live, nothing much ever happens in those boring places, so you shouldn’t have a problem with very limited knowledge of their culture. Anyway, here are some suggestions. Talk about moonshine, and they all can relate to that, because in those type of communities, homemade alcohol is usually consumed by everyone, including toddlers. Or, come up with a few outhouse jokes, since only the wealthy in West Virginia have indoor plumbing. Or, you can talk about dating, and why no one in the local area is embarrassed when they marry one of their close relatives. And finally, since educational standards are extremely low in most hick towns, ask the attendees, how many years it took them to learn how to read, after they finished high school? I hope this helps.

Blake