Hillbilly Elegy

Growing up, my friends and I had no
clue that the world had changed. Papaw
had retired only a few years earlier,
owned stock in Armco, and had a
lucrative pension. Armco Park remained
the nicest, most exclusive recreation
spot in town, and access to the private
park was a status symbol: It meant that
your dad (or grandpa) was a man with a
respected job. It never occurred to me
that Armco wouldn’t be around forever,
funding scholarships, building parks, and
throwing free concerts.
Still, few of my friends had
ambitions to work there. As small
children, we had the same dreams that
other kids did; we wanted to be