Kansas City has it's share of problems, and we complain about them frequently on this site. But we choose to live here for a reason. We've all had plenty of chances to move away, California, Arizona, Florida, Texas (well, maybe not Texas) but we stayed for some reason. Since today is Thanksgiving I think that it would be a good time to go over some of the great things about Kansas City and the people who live here.
The "Stop to Help Change a Tire" Theory
There are many cities that move much faster than Kansas City, people are in a hurry, no time to talk or to pay attention to what is going on around them. Our people tend to stay in one place for years, get to know their neighbors, get to know the grocery store clerk's name, say "hi" to each other on the street, check in on an elderly neighbor (a neighbor of mine just delivered a covered dish to an elderly woman who lives next door to me just as I was writing this!) - and I can't even count how many times a complete stranger has stopped to help someone with a jump start or to help change a tire. That is what is great about Kansas City.
Charity Organizations
Kansas City has so many charity functions going on that it is impossible to keep up with them. Almost every day of the year some charity in the city has something going on. Our small and large businesses give enormous amounts of time and attention to our local and national charity organizations, and that is what is great about Kansas City.
The Success of the Power and Light District and The Sprint Center
For my entire life growing up here in Kansas City, I can't remember visiting downtown Kansas City for ANY reason. Our downtown area was a vacant, abandoned smear of old partially demolished buildings, bums on the street, idiotic one-way streets (well, ok, the stupid one-way streets are still there), and the only reason anyone ever went downtown was to visit one of the government buildings - whether by choice or by force. Today we see a completely different downtown with the addition of the Sprint Center and the Power and Light District. We were skeptical at first, we are Kansas Citians after all and we don't accept change very easily, but the district is flourishing and it is affecting the entire downtown area. Old buildings are being bought up and restored, new condos and restaurants are opening up, and we have the biggest names in the world touring through the Sprint Center.
Family and Friends
And for whatever reason our families decided to settle here, we must have come to the same conclusion - that Kansas City is a pretty good place to hang your hat. So today let's take a minute and be thankful that all of our friends and family are with us and we all share this wonderful city in the stout but modest Midwest.
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