There is not a title for this entry to the blog. So, why no title. Recent events in my life have put me into thinking mode. Crazy convoluted thinking. My mind has been running all over the place jumping from one topic to another. It has been jumping all over the place at such a speed that I am not able to get organized in any manner or form. Therefore, I guess I'll just write down .... well, whatever and see if you people can make any sense of it better than I can. I am not going to post this on Facebook as I normally do, so it will probably be read by less then ten readers. I have had this blog looked at over 86,000 times mostly because of Facebook. I only have 2 followers according to my stat report on the it so do the math. No one will hardly see this. This is a good thing in this case as it makes it easier for me to write anything I want and not give much worry as to what people think. Let's try this and see what comes out.
It is midnight here in Kansas City, Missouri the morning of March 27, 2022. I have learned over the many years of my life that when people ask where are you from and you answer Kansas City, they immediately ask you how are things in Kansas? This irritates me a lot. I do not live in Kansas. Never have have and, if I have my way, never will. I don't actually HATE the great state of Kansas. It is just that Kansas is not Missouri and I LOVE Missouri. I was born here and have lived my entire life here so far. After the last few years, particularly the last week or so, I no doubt will die here as well.
Yes I love this state. There are many reasons why I do. One of those reasons, ironically, is the fact that Kansas is so damn close. On the western side of the Missouri there is a natural rivalry between the two states. It is more than the rivalry tween the two major universities, University of Kansas in Lawrence and the University of Missouri in Columbia. This divide between these states can be traced at least as far back as the United States Civil War, if not earlier. Before the war began and as part of Missouri being given statehood in August of 1821 the powers that be came up with the Missouri Compromise. The main part of the compromise was the beginning of ending the growth of slavery in the country. Missouri would be the last state to come into the union as a slave state. All territories and states from then on would be free non-slavery states and territories. It was a huge first step in the country's move towards ending the institution of slavery.
There is a misconception that Missouri was a southern state and a part of the Confederacy. Fact is that when the CSA was created, Missouri did not succeed from the union. This state has always been a member of the United States of America from it's inception. This worked out great for the north and eastern part of the state. St. Louis was a northern, anti-slavery city without a doubt. Most historians consider St. Louis the last eastern city in the country and Kansas City the first western city. That is a little side track but one that I have always found interesting. Anyway, Kansas City definitely supported the southern cause and lined up with the CSA. Kansas settlers were supportive of the abolitionist and so on the border between Kansas and Missouri fierce fighting and battles broke out during and after the war was over. Kansans were known as Jayhawkers while the Missouri folk were referred to as Ruffians. The most famous of these Missouri Ruffians was one Bloody Bill Anderson. He was best known for raids into Kansas multiple times and once burning the town of Lawrence to the ground. Eventually, after the war was over, the Federal Government had to institute Order Number 11, I think that is what it was. Barbara would know for sure, but this order acted kind of like the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. Eventually the two states learned to live next to each other, but deep down there is still a little of that rivalry existing between the citizens whose families have been in the border area for many years. New comers don't understand it, but they shouldn't be expected to I guess.
So I have lived my whole life within 15 minutes of Kansas. In all honesty though, the people of Kansas are good people. They are typical mid-west friendly as much as those in Missouri are. My definition of the mid-west is not the same as it is nationally. Ohio part of the mid-west? I don't think so. The mid-west to me is east to west from the eastern border of Indiana and there about to the western border of Kansas. From north to south it goes from the Canadian border down to maybe northern Texas, no further south than Dallas though. Mid-west people are very friendly and helpful. I would rate the people of the southeast and the mid-west about the same. There is no better place to have a car breakdown on you than somewhere in the Great Plains. You will have help and get helped back on your way s soon as possible. Thinking about that now, it could be because these mid-westerners don't want you to be hanging around the area very long. They see California car tags and the general thought is that the sooner we get them out of here the better. I can see that thought process being carried through. I can see myself thinking that way actually.
I have visited other cities in the country. The cities I have spent most of my time out of Kansas City include San Francisco, Oakland, Denver and Chicago. Also on my travel resume are the cities of Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, Nashville, Memphis, Dallas, Phoenix and Louisville as well as some smaller areas. I can honestly say that none of those cities compare to my home town. That is to be expected though I imagine. I do love this town and state.
Well, it is 1:30 am on the 27th of March of 2022. I have breakfast and church services in the morning so I'll temporarily stop for now and maybe pick this up again tomorrow.
Woke up a little early this morning, around 6:30 when my Sunday morning alarm is set for 7:00. I do not find a problem with this as it gives just a little more time to relax with Dutch. I love my Sunday mornings. It is an important part of my week and the most relaxing part of my week. I wake up and first thing on the agenda is to let Dutch out. While he is outside taking care of business I grind up some coffee beans and brew a nice pot of my favorite beverage followed by letting Dutch back inside. I then shave and take a shower, get dressed, put some music on before sitting down and enjoying a cup of coffee while petting Dutch. This is such a relaxing few minutes that Dutch loves. I head out towards my first stop of the morning. At 9:00 every Sunday morning I walk into the Belton Crackerbarrel Restaurant. Sometimes I enter with my special friend Lisa if she is feeling well or wasn't up all night dealing with things in her life. Most Sundays though, I enter alone and sit facing the windows that look out onto I-49 to watch the traffic pass by as I eat. And what do I eat? It is very simple. Coffee and Mama's Pancake Breakfast. This gets me two eggs, two sausage patties and three pancakes to go along with my coffee. Now the church is only a few minutes away so I can eat leisurely taking my time enjoying every bite. At 10:05 I head out the door for the short drive to the Open Door Bible Church a couple of blocks away.
When I arrive at the church I exchange greetings with the "Welcomer of the Week" before heading to a board that has name tags printed on to sticky labels. I find my name, put the tag on my shirt and walk into the sanctuary to find a seat on the back row. Today was the last Sunday of the month so at the end of the service we partook of communion. This is always a special time for me. It has been special nearly my whole life. Communion upholds my beliefs and my faith. It is a time of reflection that provides me a way to strengthen my faith and what changes I may need to make from the mistakes that occur on a daily basis. This week there was a lot of reflection and corrections that need to be considered.
I can predict the rest of this particular Sunday. I'll find a ball game to watch or maybe a movie. I might listen to more music. More than likely a nap will happen at some point in the day. Sunday s a day off for me in a series of days that are all days off more or less since I retired. I'll head to bed around midnight or so and wake up tomorrow morning whenever Dutch feels it is time to get up.
Well, I think ENTRY NUMBER 498 went fairly well. Perhaps I will do the same for number 499. I don't know.
Right now though, it is publish time.
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