I c an’t imag ine b eing any thing other than a Kansa s Monk . In the p a st , I imag ine d my s elf b eing many thing s other than a monk : a ling ui st , a l aw yer, a dio ce san pr ie st . But my imag ination ha s alw ay s b e en in Kansa s . I’ve live d my whole life here, and other than the four ye ars I sp ent in s cho ol out e a st , all the mo st sig nif ic ant moment s of my life have b e en shap e d by it s p e ople and pl ace s . I’ve gotten to s e e and le ar n ab out almo st e ver y cor ner of the st ate. I w a s b or n in the middle in Gre at B end, g re w up in the s outhwe st in L ak in, went to col le ge in L aw rence, worke d in Wichit a , sp ent time w ith my sibling s while the y were in colle ge at Pitt sburg St ate. Now I’ve made a s olemn vow of st ability here in Atchi s on.
My cle are st memor ie s are outdo ors , hunting , f i shing , and explor ing at home and at my g randp a’s f ar m. The pl ant s and animal s I found c aptiv ate d me: w ide pl ains of sagebr u sh, y ucc a and pr ick ly p e ars inhabite d by herd s of mule de er, prair ie do g s and may b e an antelop e if your g l ance w a s quick enoug h to ke e p up. To s ome one ju st p a ssing by, it may all lo ok the same, e ach s qu are mile the same a s the l a st . But that p ers on do e sn’t k now ab out the clump of thick- tr unke d cottonwo o d s on the p ond d am wh ere we c amp e d, or the c att ail s in w ater s o shallow the c ar p almo st k no ck over the c ano e, or the sand pit dug out by the ro ad c re w and now g row ing pr ick ly p e ars and conef lowers . The y ’re not ju st pl ant s , but markers on a l and s c ap e of memor ie s . 20
Kansas Monks
