Posted By KJ / 12th May 2011
Recent piece in the local rag written by a sportswriter who is leaving our fair city for the more temperate climes of Charlotte got me to thinking…what makes a home?
Not a home like a house. Or an apartment. Hell everyone has to have one or the other. Unless you’re a tent dweller, in which case, good luck to you. Really. Good luck.
But what makes a home as in a city?
Is it the people? Perhaps. While Kansas City has decent, nice people, I wonder if the people here are any nicer than in any other mid sized city. Are they more helpful? More apt to go out of their way to assist you in finding something or getting somewhere? Perhaps. I’d assume that the people in Kansas City are at least as nice as those in any other city, will help you find your lost puppy or your lost way or whatever it is that you need to find or get to.
Is it a willingness to help those less fortunate? Once again, I guess that Kansas City is equally as willing to help as any other town.
But does this make it home? Does it make it A home?
Yes it makes it A home. It happens to be where I live. Where my kids have grown up. So in that sense, it’s home. Whenever we travel and people ask where home is, it’s easy to say Kansas City. ”Oh” they inevitably reply, “Kansas is so..um..nice.” I no longer fight to say I live in Missouri because really, what’s the point? There isn’t one so I just nod my head. ”Yes. It’s quite lovely.”
People ask where I’m from and I still say Houston though honestly I’ve lived in Kansas City longer than I ever lived in Houston. When I go back to Houston it’s different. It’s foreign to me. Not really in a bad way, but in the way that any new city is foreign to a traveler. Because really, I don’t go home. I’m travelling.
It’s been said that home is where the heart is. In that case, I guess Blue Springs, Missouri is my home. Not a willing home, but a home nonetheless. My heart is here. My kids, my wife. All here.
Home
Posted By KJ / 14th January 2011
Routines. They’re hard to break but once broken, then you don’t really miss the old way. Or at least I don’t. Of course your results may vary.
My morning routine of late was to fire up the computer first thing, get a cup of coffee and sit down for a long read. I’d open up iTunes and put on KCUR for the news, not really paying attention to any of it, but it was good background noise whilst I woke up and tried not to drool my coffee all over the laptop.
One day, I didn’t turn on KCUR and you know what? I found that I didn’t miss the news. Seems as if it was nothing but foreclosure notices, stupid political infighting news and more budgetary downfalls for pretty much everyone, everywhere.
I did find it comforting, I think, as background noise. It was there you know? Not really in the forefront but there. A solid something to wake up to/with.
And with this break I’ve pretty much broken all ties with broadcast media.
In the car there’s no reason any longer to even have the radio on. With the various iPhone apps you can listen to music until it runs out of your ears, drips all over the new seat covers that you just got at Target and puddle on the floor in a mishmash of tunes.
KEXP from Seattle happens to be my current favorite. They play a really eclectic mix from Johnny Cash to A Tribe Called Quest, they’re all over the place but in a really, really good way. There’s also Indie 103 from Los Angeles. Not quite as good as KEXP, I think due to the quality of the DJ’s really. Seems as if the jocks on Indie 103 like to think they’re still terrestrial and on air. They do tend to run off at the mouth a bit more than the people at KEXP. Also the music mix on Indie 103 is really not quite as eclectic. Not as mixed up, still decent though, especially on Saturday morning for Retrograde.
Alas, thanks KCUR for the good times but people move on, you know? Nothing personal and I’m sure that you’ll find a new listener in Blue Springs. There has to be at least one other person out there who will listen. Good luck, really.
Note: on second read this hasn’t been the strongest post in the history of everness. Well, we can’t hit every pitch out of the park then can we? Every now and again a slap single over the 2nd baseman’s head will suffice. This is very definitely one of those times.
Posted By kage / 29th July 2010
Come on baby, let’s go down to the Golden Corral. They got a right nice buffet.
Posted By kage / 1st April 2010
“…Think I’ll go to the spin class sometime…” says I.
“Okay” she says, “how about tonight? Go ahead and make our reservations. “
“Yeah, well about that…see I’ve got to..um…I have to…well…um…”
“Shut up” she says.
Reservations made.
If a sissy like Scott Bland can do it, by gawd….
Posted By KJ / 12th January 2009
As the proud parent of not one, but two members of the Blue Springs Golden Regiment, I can honestly and openly tell you that it’s expensive. It’s crazy expensive. Did I mention that it costs a lot? Yeah? Well…seriously…it’s costs a ton.
The band (who certainly is always ready..as are the parents) was invited to march in the Inaugural parade for Barack Obama. It’s an honor to represent Kansas City and the State of Missouri. Seriously. Disagree with me all day on politics if you want, but you have to admit that it’s pretty cool for the kids to get to march in this parade.
You, yes you, can help pay for this honor by donating here.
The parents of The Blue Springs Golden Regiment thank you in advance.
Now I can spring for that cheeseburger I’ve had my eye on at McDonalds…
Recent piece in the local rag written by a sportswriter who is leaving our fair city for the more temperate climes of Charlotte got me to thinking…what makes a home?