Midwestern DUB

Midwestern sarcasm, when it's done correctly, can be a thing of rare beauty.

It's like performance art.

Everywhere else in the world, you can identify sarcasm if you're paying attention.

It's like a trombone player with a plunger head.

There's that slight wah-wah tone bending to let you know not to take this too seriously.

Sometimes you don't realize what's happening until hours later.

These women had been cheerleaders at our high school.

They weren't indie rock aficionados, working whose kids have DUIs.

Anybody from a small town knows what this is like.

Your business is everybody else's business.

If you leave for a while and come back even for a short visit,

the never left locals will ask you, what have you been up to?

But of course they already know.

It's been discussed and debated from the moment you first crossed the river.

Not being around to defend yourself means you're fair game for gossip.