I LOVE JIM GAFFIGAN.

I am a Region Rat
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Yesterday at 11:42pm
Warning: If you are not from Indiana or Chicago you will find this completely boring.

Warning: If you are from Northwest Indiana you will find this completely pandering and long

I am a Region Rat. I’m aware not many people would readily identify themselves as a rat. Allow me to explain. Or at least attempt to. As many of you know I’m proud to be from Indiana. Well, as proud as anyone from Indiana can be about being from Indiana. We’re not really the bragging type as you’ve perhaps seen in my stand up.

Then what is a Region Rat? Well, the “Region” refers to the part of Indiana where I was raised. I’m from Northwest Indiana also known as The Calumet Region or just The Region. Now for the “Rat” part? I only have theories on it. Well, let me set it up and maybe you’ll understand why I say “Region Rat” with pride.

Northwest Indiana is the oddball part of the state. It’s kind of like the Goth Girl at church. Indiana is considered by some to be the most northern Southern state, but the people of Northwest Indiana often have Chicago accents, root for the Bears and watch Chicago television (I’m a huge Colts and Bears fan). Additionally, while most of Indiana may be rural/pastoral or even hilly, The Calumet Region, while beautiful in many ways, resembles many other industrial rust belt areas of the Great Lakes. The steel mills disappeared in the 80’s and 90’s along with many good paying jobs. The largest city in Northwest Indiana is Gary and well, let’s just say it is nothing like “The Music Man”. In 1937 Time magazine declared Gary the most beautiful city in the world. What they didn’t declare was that whoever they named Gary after had some pretty bad B.O.

Essentially, Northwest Indiana in many ways feels, sounds and in some parts smells different from Indiana. As a result, when most people from Indiana find out I’m from Northwest Indiana, there is usually a polite pause and then a tentative “Oh, ok” which is code for “Technically, you are from Indiana, but not really”.

So is Northwest Indiana part of Chicagoland? Well, yes, but not really. Northwest Indiana rests right up to the east of the City of Chicago geographically and people do commute in for work, but to Northwest Indiana, Chicago is like that boss that never remembers your name. I’ve told people in Chicago many times that I’m from Northwest Indiana only to receive a blank stare followed by an occasional “Where’s that?” It’s ten minutes away. For Chicagoans that do know of Northwest Indiana, Region Rats are not considered equals. We are considered “hicks” or well, Region Rats.

I don’t know who came up with “Region Rat”. Was it our fellow Hoosiers to the south or “our boss”, Chicago, to the west? Either way, Region Rat stuck and frankly I love it.

And as probably the most famous Region Rat, Michael Jackson, once sang; “I’m going back to Indiana”.

August 23rd Star Plaza Theater Merrillville, Indiana 7pm
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/07004059DE5FCF94?artistid=863832&majorcatid=10002&minorcatid=51

August 23rd Star Plaza Theater Merrillville, Indiana 10pm
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/070040CB674E3443?artistid=863832&majorcatid=10002&minorcatid=51

Facebook Event Page For Merrillville
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=12093715125

I love you and Schoop’s,

Jim