When I drive to a different part of the country, I often think: I’m representing my home state. I have a Pennsylvania license plate. That means something.

When I merge into traffic ... when I demonstrate courtesy ... when I park in a lot ... people will have occasion to think, “Hmm. This is what people from Pennsylvania are like.”

It’s illogical, but they’re more likely to consider me as a representative of an entire state than they are to think, “This is what one person from that state is like.”

Like it or not, we tend to represent the folks back home. We’re ambassadors.

Particularly when we’re away from hometowns, let’s do a good job of representing our people.