That is certainly true. There remains that slippery something, though, in the "Real Vermonters" who have stayed here, watching the "flatlanders" take over: it's a steadfastness and a willingness not only to endure but to triumph through difficulty. We know that the battle does not always go to those who scream the loudest, or wave the most banners, but rather to the ones left standing when the smoke of every explosion clears.
Even that description doesn't quite capture the reality. It's just there. We take it for granted. Many call it "Fierce Independence," and that, too, comes close, but doesn't say it all.