Recently the host of one of the nation-wide programs we air here on Tri-State Praise KGCR was commenting on the drive between Kansas City and Denver and, in the course of his conversation, commented that he felt there was "nothin'" along I-70 worth stopping for. As a staff we decided it was our obligation to show him the error in his statement and educate him on the values of living in northwest Kansas. I'm not sure if our care package of northwest Kansas memorabilia will impress him but our quest has had an unexpected benefit. It's reminded me of how much I appreciate this area. You see, when I moved to Brewster, Kansas in 1989, I was thrilled to get out of Kansas City. But during the past 19 years I've come to take for granted the community that we've called home for nearly two decades. Defending our community has forced me to take a closer look at where I live and just a very few of the MANY reasons that I have to praise the Lord that my family lives in Brewster.
1. Where else can I play kick ball with my family for an hour and know the names of everyone who drives by?
2. Where else can we have a family emergency and know there are multiple families within a one block radius where we can leave our kids without fear?
3. Where else can you go to your neighbor to borrow a tool and have him come back with you and spend an entire weekend helping you fix whatever was broken (using his tools and probably some of his supplies)?
Sure the big city has more restaurants and malls. But I really don't need to pay two days salary for a meal anyway and I didn't know I needed most of the gadgets in the mall before I walked through the door. The majority of what I need can be found right here in northwest Kansas and what can't is only a click away on the Internet and will be delivered right to my front door by a man dressed in brown (who knows me by name and usually stays a little while to chat). A few years ago I spent a week at a conference on Baltimore. Four days into the conference it finally dawned on me - the real difference between Brewster, KS and Baltimore, MD is that, in Baltimore they assume everyone is an enemy until they prove themselves to be a friend. Here in northwest Kansas we assume everyone is a friend until they prove themselves to be a enemy. And, speaking as a transplant into the tri-state area, I'll pick living among friends any day. Just a reminder not to forget to thank God for all His blessings, including the blessing of living right here in northwest Kansas.
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James I agree. After having been away for 25 years, for me nothing compares to the solitude and peace of mind we enjoy (and probably take for granted) everyday. I remember when we lived in Colorado Springs often waking up at night thinking that someone was in our house! I'd get up and go through every room and check for burglars. Fortunately for me, I never found any! It took me several months of living here to get over that and now I pretty much sleep like a baby except for the snoring. By the way, do babies ever snore? Maybe that would be a good topic sometime.
Perry
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