Where does your state rank in twitter usage?

Twitter has ranked the 51 states (including District of Columbia) by their total number of twitter users.    Do you know where your state ranks?  Check it out here.   California is #1, North Dakota is #51.  

I live in Arizona, which is #14.   My home state of Rhode Island, however, is an embarrassing #43.   What gives?   One of the original 13 colonies was ahead of its time on freedom of religion, but behind the times on social media? 

It’s a great metaphor for the constant dichotomy I feel, having lived in Arizona now for almost 21 years.   I love the newness of everything here – shopping malls, restaurants, highways, museums, parking lots, even.   I feed off the entrepreneurial energy.   There is a strong and vibrant twitter community.    Yet, I miss the history of Rhode Island, the ocean, the wit and humor.    I don’t miss the days-old vegetables in the supermarkets, however, or the crowded streets and grumpy people.   Can’t blame them for being grumpy – the economy and the weather both contribute to a challenging environment.

So I’m not surprised Rhode Island is ranked #43.    A few years ago, I was trying to find a Starbucks there to use wi-fi, and the closest one was in Providence, 18 miles away.   Here in Scottsdale, anything I could possibly need is within a 2-mile radius of the house.  

Somewhere is the perfect place — all new structures, but integrated seamlessly with historic ones, with lots of wi-fi, great weather, a solid economy, affordable housing, and plenty of ocean.   Until then, I guess I’ll be living with one foot in both states.

Thanks to @narramoreryan, who first tweeted the link.