My hometown is in semi-rural WV as well, and this is all true. Furthermore, because the lack of opportunity and things for young people to occupy themselves wi

My hometown is in semi-rural WV as well, and this is all true. Furthermore, because the lack of opportunity and things for young people to occupy themselves with, many young people with means (and many who don’t, via college loans) move elsewhere to build a life for themselves. I did, because if I hadn’t the path ahead of me had a ceiling I’d hit by my late 20s or early 30s. This contributes to the cycle of decay that much more. Fewer young people → shrinking working population → no interest from employers → no jobs. And the opioid cross has made it all that much worse. It’s sad. My hometown wasn’t exactly bustling when I was a kid in the 90s, but it still had some life to it. Now it’s barely hanging on.