I’m from Texas. Part of my heart will always belong to the Lone Star State. But I have a confession.
I’ve been having an affair with Kansas City, and it might be getting serious.
I’ve written before of my love/hate relationship with the place I’ve called home for going on four years. There’s plenty to do, but the weather aggravates me. The Kansas Prairie has given me a best friend whom I love like a sister, but I’ve also met some really craptastic people. The BBQ is amazing, but there’s no Wienerschnitzel.
There’ve been many, many moments over the years that I’ve wanted to throw my hands up in the air, burn down the house and move back to Texas. I pine for my family sometimes. There are occasions where I’d like to climb to the top of the Liberty Memorial and shoot the whole city the finger.
But there are also times like these.
Times where I see how beautiful the city can be when it struggles to experience a rebirth. Times where I drive down one of our scenic highways and breathe deeply of the clean air. Times where it seems like the city unites into a family against a common enemy. (Yeah, I’m talking to you, Robinson Cano.)
This weekend, I expected to be bummed and depressed. I expected to be missing my family now that they had gone back to Texas and to be worried sick about their recovery after the accident.
And on Friday night, I was. I wallowed a bit.
But then my husband came home with two tickets for the All Star Game Fan Fest, and…I wallowed ever harder.
“Man, eff baseball,” I thought. “I don’t even like it that much. And the Royals are terrible.”
But I went, mostly because of the shining joy in my husband’s eyes when he talked about who and what would be there. And I had a surprisingly great time.
We took lots of silly pictures, got to see a few of the women who played ball during WWII – I totally teared up during this, those women are amazing – and hubs got to test drive a Chevy Volt.
We ended up with bags of swag (that word makes me laugh) and my husband got a new hat and had fancy ASG logos put on it right then and there. He was on cloud nine, and I was thrilled to see him so happy.
The Monkey had a pretty great time too.
Then today while hubs was at work Monkey and I met some friends at the zoo who we hadn’t seen in over a month. The weather had finally cooled off and the clouds gave welcome relief from the sun. As I walked the miles between the cages and enclosures, I felt like I belonged.
No, not at the zoo, smartass.
I felt like I was at my zoo. In my city. That I wasn’t just a tourist. I wasn’t just passing through.
I felt a feeling of permanence, and it didn’t make me go running for the closest exit.
Later that day, I got the good news that a Freebirds was finally open in our area. It was just a “preview” opening, but for a $5 donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, you could get an entrée and drink.
We had to wait in line, of course, but the whole experience was a freakin’ blast. It was breezy, everyone was in a great mood, and the atmosphere inside the restaurant was as one would expect at a Freebirds – funky and fun.
When we got home to eat our burritos, we sat down to watch the Home Run Derby on TV. There was quite a bit of controversy concerning Cano and his remarks about choosing Billy Butler to hit for the AL, then not choosing him after all. Then he made a comment about loving to come to KC because there were always more Yankees fans in the stadium than KC fans.
And that pissed me right off.
I wasn’t the only one either. A sea of powder and royal blue booed Cano as he stepped up to the plate and hit ZERO home runs during the derby. They cheered every time a hit fell short.
And yeah, it was rude of them to do that. But they were rallying around something important – not just a sporting event.
People here are proud of their city. Sure, they bitch about it from time to time. They fight and make up with it, just like family – and nobody talks shit about your family.
I was proud of KC tonight. I was proud that they didn’t just sit there and twiddle their thumbs and put up with yet another insult. I was proud that they had a little fire in ‘em, a little attitude.
I’m proud to be one of them. I’m proud to be a Kansas Citian.
More KC love here.
Mamamash 
Well, I’m making Kansas a stop on my tour of the US!
When that happens. One day.
Bring an empty belly, ’cause you will want to eat. A lot. 🙂
This makes me smile. A lot. I’ve always been proud to be a Kansan, and I’m glad you’re feeling the KC love, too.
Those pictures are great. Your boys are so cute at the baseball thing (I totally don’t even know what it was. Shhh. Don’t tell.)
I love all of this, except the collage comment. I totally just made a collage for tomorrow’s post. 😛
(Heehee, I love that Alison said Kansas. She’s coming to my house, not yours, Ms. MO)
I just suck at collages, don’t mind me. 🙂
Never been there- but I also understand hometown pride. We are from the Detroit area, and think it\’s weird our kids were born in the south. We are contemplating brain washing and using white out on their birth certificates I think your collages are great! And jealous you went to the derby!
Haha, at first I was so upset when I saw Missouri on my kid’s birth certificate. But over time I’ve really grown to love it here. 🙂 (Oh, and we didn’t go to the derby, we went to the FanFest. But it would have been AWESOME to see the derby.)
I’ve never been to Kansas City or even Kansas, but you make it seem worth visiting.
Keep writing…
I’m on the Missouri side of KC, and it’s very nice here. I think a a tourist you have to know a local to really enjoy the place, but there are many hidden jewels. 🙂
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: DAMN lady. You can write.
I absolutely oved this homage to your town. I’ve lived in the same 30-mile radius (for better or worse and there truly are MAJOR goods and bads about this) for all of my 43 years.
My party line is this: “IF you have to be stuck somewhere, this is a great place!”
And yet.
A part of me wonders what it would be like to go somewhere (ANYWHERE) else; I realize there are probably cities (and suburbs and rural areas) all over the country where I could discover something…different about myself.
But here I am.
I always said I’d move away after college but then I met Bill. And he’d lived in four different states. He said this was where he wanted to stay.
So here I am. Here we are.
And the WE is all that really matters.
I think you nailed it…being here with my husband and the family we are creating is what makes it home. There are memories elsewhere sure, but what we’ve built here is sure something good!
I live in a small town and a bigger one is about 30 minutes away but nothing like Kansas City!
I’m glad that you have so much to do there and are able to call it home!
It’s a thrill to see the shiny skyline in the mornings and say “That’s mine.” 🙂
*waving from Manhattan, KS!* I loved this post!! I was born and raised here. If I had to move to Texas, I’d probably write this same kinda post about that place. I totally understand your heart and what you are saying. But it is also heart warming to hear a non-native say she loves my state 🙂
For some reason Kansas City has always been on my list of place that I would love to visit even though I am a East coast New England gal. Maybe because when my hubs and I were newlyweds living in Wilmington, NC we met a couple from Kansas City and they were so nice and soooooo homesick for their hometown.
And even though I am a huge Yankees fan and my oldest LOVES Robinson Cano I still love it when a town gets together and are united against someone or something!
I love this post! How awesome that you are starting to love your city. I *still* don’t feel at home in our town. And it is SMALL… and **cough** only 30 minutes from where I grew up. 🙂
Oh, how I relate! I’ve been here in NC off and on since 99. This last time, it’s been almost 3 years and I really think that we’ll be here for a very long time. Sometimes I miss my family and friends back in PA and I don’t feel like I belong here. Though yesterday, after a craptastic day, the kids and I went to the beach. And sitting there, watching them play(how do kids make friends immediately?) and hearing the waves roll in, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Those pictures are so great! That blue fountain! Awesome! Sometimes it’s hard to leave “home”, but we can make home anywhere if we focus on the positives of the area and the fact that home is wherever our family is. It sounds like maybe you’re getting a taste of accepting that. Great post!
Love the photo of those bikes! )))
You know what? The first word that comes to my mind when I hear Kansas is –“DOROTHY!”
Xx Am I weird?