What It Means To Be Country [POLL]

Does being "country" mean singing with a southern twang? Do you need tall boots and chewing tobacco to be country? Do you need a funny hat and a dresser full of plaid?

We've all heard it before. "He's country", "She's Country", That's country".

What does it really mean?

I asked my friend Jenna what she thought it meant to be country. Here's what she said:

"Being Country isn't about what you wear, or how you talk. Hell, it isn't even about where you live. It's a state of mind and a way of life. Looking out for your neighbor, that's country. If you get a call from a friend who's car broke down, anyone who's really country would hop in the truck, throw some gas in the back and drive on over. Being country is about not letting your head get too big, and sticking it out with your family, through the good times and bad.

Could Jenna be right? Maybe being country is just a state of mind.

Another friend of mine, Kyle, had another opinion.

"You can't live in a city like New York or Albany and still be country. The point of being country is to experience wide open skies, and ride horses across the plains. Fishing on the weekends is country. Shooting your first buck is country. Sitting back on your porch at night, just you and a creamy sea of stars is country. You just can't get a view like that in a city."

Kyle did have a point, but Jenna's argument was strong as well. Is being country a state of mind, or is it more physical? Can one really live in a city as busy as Albany and still retain their country roots, or is it just too hard?

What do you think?