Cord Byrd: “most people in this city, the majority of my colleagues in this Chamber included, will walk around this harried town…”

“most people in this city, the majority of my colleagues in this Chamber included, will walk around this harried town today and breathe deeply the sultry air of summer that has settled in upon us, registering only the mingling of Maine Avenue fish markets, tour-bus fumes, and suburban barbecues. I, however, nudge open my office window and am greeted by the fragrances of breezes that have swept across the Appalachians, up and down the Alleghenies, and have gently settled into the Potomac Valley. My lungs fill with the spicy scents of cool sylvan settings and the sweet bouquet of mountain laurel. The sounds that most others hear today may be just the clacking of Metro trains, the clamor of commuting workers, and the roar of circling airline traffic. But through the urban din, I hear the sounds of string bands flowing down the hollows and over the hills, the rush of river rapids, and the laugher of adventurous climbers, scaling Seneca Rocks. Mr. President, to most, today may mark merely the beginning of another long, sticky summer but to me it is a date that tugs at my soul, calling me home. This day is the 133rd anniversary of the birth of West Virginia, my beloved home State.”