Coincidence or Fate?

I based this blog off of my being a Kansan girl and the experiences I've had living in Florida and traveling abroad. I've talked about the "racism" I've encountered with my own race, the stares I've received for simply being Black and the lame jokes people tell me after discovering my home state.

My babies Daisy (yellow) and Storm

Let me tell you, it's not easy being from Kansas and living in Florida. It's especially not easy when you have a Kansas license plate, a Kansas phone number and am Black. Throw two pet parakeets (apparently they're an uncommon pet to have?) into the mix and you have a bonafide reason to feel like you're all alone in the sunshine state.

Then something happened.

A Common Occurrence

I'm from Kansas.

I'm Black.

Apparently, these two things don't go together.

At least once a week while filling up on gas, some genius makes a comment about my license plate. They usually go something like this:


"Oh well, you're a long way from home"
"Did you lose your red shoes on the way here?"
"Is Toto in the backseat?"

Ha. So very funny...as if I haven't heard it a million times before.

courtesy of kshs.org

However, my favorite reaction (whether they find out I'm from Kansas by my tags or not) is "THERE'S BLACK PEOPLE IN KANSAS!?"

Yes.

In fact Kansas City has a somewhat decent sized African-American population....you just have to know where to go! I can say that when California rapper, Mac Dre was shot and killed in Kansas City I don't think it was by a farmer.

Black people are everywhere, including and not limited to: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and of course, Kansas.

Honestly, not everything about Kansas is farms and cows and plains. I mean it's not the next New York or Florida, but it's...somewhat decent. Trust me, I know.

Just as people in other countries stared at me because of my skin tone, it amazes me that people IN MY OWN COUNTRY stare at me like I have three heads for being a Black girl that calls Kansas her home. Sheesh.

Maybe I do have two extra heads that I don't know about....

October

For as long as I can remember, October has always been my favorite month.

I guess it's mainly because I feel that it's the official start of autumn. I am quite aware that autumn officially started in September, but doesn't it feel more fitting to begin in October?

In elementary school every time the teacher flipped to the month of October its decorations were filled with pumpkins, rust colored leaves and naked trees. Back in Kansas, the wind got nippier and the turtlenecks and boots were brought out from storage and a slew of kids messed up their parents perfectly raked leaf piles.

Oh how I miss October in Kansas!

Kansas in October. Lovely isn't it?

Living in Florida, you really don't get the full affect of autumn except for the weather changing from deathly humidly hot to a cooler humidly hot.

However, while I may be missing the true season of autumn that so many other people get to enjoy, my favorite month is giving me plenty of perks while I sweat to death down here.

1. New Nicholas Sparks book! The Best of Me came out yesterday and I can't wait to go get my copy! 
2. New Goapele album Break of Dawn hits stores at the end of the month.
3. I move into my new apartment on Friday. 
4. Pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING. Coffee, pie, beer, cake. Heaven.

Roll all four of those things together and what do you get?

An extremely fat, well-read, satisfied and more importantly happy Naomi in her cozy decorate apartment. Doesn't sound to bad if you ask me!

KC BBQ=L.U.V.

Kansas City's Gates Bar B. Q.

I'll admit, I've neglected you for the past few years while I've been off at college, but reuniting with you after so long only makes our relationship that much sweeter.

The last time we were together was in 2003 after church on Sunday. It had become family tradition to drive an hour out into Kansas City for delicious ribs, ham and brisket slathered in the infamous Gates sauce.

On Sunday (what are the odds of that happening?) I happily dragged my Dad and brother out to KCMO so we could all rekindle our flame with Gates.

The restaurant looked just as I left it. No remodeling or renovations, just the same loud employees yelling "please" after every phrase, ESPN on every channel and the oddly suspicious quietness that filled the room from everyone chowing down on their food.

Just like old times.

Still the same!

We ordered the small party platter which consisted of bread, pickles, beef brisket, ham, ribs and the classic Gates sauce in the middle. Unfortunately it didn't come with any sides (seriously, the meat was enough), but we ordered fries and BBQ beans to compliment our meal.

Mmmm!

After being seated, I realized how much food we really ordered! However, with an athlete (my brother) and my Dad on my team, we dug in.

Needless to say, this was me afterwards.

I actually forgot how much I love Gates and now that I'm back in Florida, I'm depressed that there isn't a Gates remotely close to me.

Gates originated in 1946 in Kansas City, Mo by George Gates and Arthur Pinkard. Their website credits most of their success to their barbecue sauce (which I must add is YUM):


Gates Bar-B-Q is receiving national recognition due in large part to the strategic location of Kansas City. Being the hub of the nation, Kansas City attracts various groups of people from throughout the country for a variety of reasons including national political conventions, public officials conventions, business, industry, fraternal and professional conventions, as well as the American Royal, to name a few. Additionally, it is host to a number of college and professional sporting events. All these activities have brought many of these people into Gates' Bar-B-Q restaurants, thereby enhancing the Gates national image, but more importantly a continually rising demand for Gates Bar-B-Q Sauce on a national basis. People's views being that if they cannot have Gates Bar-B-Q in their own metropolitan areas, they will tout for the sauce being made available to them in their market areas.

  Located in only six locations (four in Missouri and two in Kansas) I can say, its hard to keep our long distance relationship going! If only they'd move Kansas City-style barbecues to the South, not saying that the South doesn't have its redeeming qualities, I'd be one happy girl.

Until that happens, Sonny's will unfortunately have to suffice. Until we meet again Gates...until we meet again.

There's No Place Like Home

So I have this love/hate relationship with my hometown...well home state of Kansas. I want sooooooo bad to fully hate it wholeheartedly but alas I can't. I've gotten WAY too many opportunities and came out with the two best friends a girl could ever ask for. Kansas launched my journalism career. I was able to go to London BECAUSE I was from a state that no one knows anything about, and because I went to London, I was able to work for Teen Star, Kansas City Star's teen department. My articles were put online, in different newspapers around the world and I appeared on TV to be interviewed about the topics I had written about. Good times.