Seriously...I'm from Jersey!

Ok...so seriously why is that when people hear you are from NJ one of the following things happen (and no its not the lame "what exit" comment that is sooooo old)...so here are the scenarios...
1. they try to slowly move away from you like you smell like the inside of NYC (not the NJ) A,C or E train
2. they lean in to whisper "me too" but don't let anyone know
3. they knock people over to high five you and say "yo me too...hells yeah Jersey!" OR
4. they say, you don't have an accent...for the record people no one but people from the Bronx say "joisey"...

So let's take a look at what NJ offers...we can take credit for Bruce Springstein (who probably wanted to write a song, "Born in Freehold, NJ (I looked that up, no I did not actually know where Bruce was born off the top of my head), Bon Jovi (NY'ers LOVE him), ummm the former Super Bowl Champions New York Giants that play and practice in NJ and all their players live in NJ (although we'd be glad to offer NYC some of their players), we have the Sopranos that love and live here, the WaWa (there is no convenience store like it), we had Brett Favre for a year as a resident (I mean he is leeeeegendary), we don't have to and we don't know how to pump our own gas, we have the Short Hills Mall (who needs NYC when you have the Short Hills Mall, ummm no sales tax people!), people are moving out of "the city" to live in Hoboken (cause its in NJ!) and OH I almost forgot you don't ever have to hold a cup in New Jersey (refer to How I Met Your Mother, thank you Marshall Erickson) "I hate New York! I'm sorry, but it's true! Today, I was walking around PriceCo. Have you been there? It's huge! All the stores in New York are so cramped! Every time I turn around I knock something over. I'm like some huge monster that came out of the oceans to destroy bodegas! ...I'm too big for New York, okay! I'm always trying to fit into cramped little subway seats, or duck under doorways that were built a hundred and fifty years ago. "Hey, people are bigger now! Build bigger doorways! What the hell is wrong with you?" ...And it's so loud. All the time. Yes, I know it's the city that never sleeps, but guess what? I like to sleep! I've been tired for eight years! Tired and scared, with black and blue marks on my elbows from trying to fit into all these tiny elf doorways! New Jersey's great! It's got huge stores, and lawns, and you never have to carry a cup again! For the rest of your life! I'm not afraid to say it: I love New Jersey!"

So people...let's lay off the dirty jerz comments or the what exit or the "oh you go to the shore" comments...just cause "we'll take anyone" does not mean we are the armpit of America...I don't want to name any names, but maybe we should be looking at Connecticut as the new armpit? I'm just throwing out an option...feel free to disagree :)