Modern Day Moment in a Midwest Town
So far, what I love about Army life is the variety of opportunities to capture moments like these. We did a lot of driving over the summer. Scott came back from Iraq via being stationed in Germany and was assigned to Fort Leavenworth. But before we settled into our new assignment, we moved household goods from Salt Lake City to Lansing Kansas, drove to Arkansas for our wedding, went to the Bahamas, flew back to Arkansas to pick up our children, then drove back to Kansas. Along the way, I met wonderful people, strange people, and funny people.
Kansas has given me hope in the kindness of strangers, something that I have not experienced in big cities. While living in Seattle and very pregnant I tripped and fell while walking. I fell so hard I could not get back up and all my belongings scattered to the ground. People walked by. Nobody stopped. As I sat on the ground wondering if I had hurt my baby in the fall and realizing that my leg was injured a group of young girls stopped and helped me up. They gathered my belongings and walked me back to work. The girls that helped me were teens out shopping. Not a single adult person could be bothered helping a pregnant woman who had fallen.
That was a defining moment for me. I now understand how people can simply be consumed in their lives and cannot be bothered with helping another. Before that experience I had a difficult time believing stories of people being raped, robbed, or hurt while people walked by. Now I know it is absolutely true. However, the Midwest has taught me that strangers can be kind. They will literally stop and help you with the most mundane things. They will talk to you no matter where you are or what you are doing. This is definitely the place to hone your small talk skills.
In the next month we will find out where our next adventure and temporary home will be. I have my small talk skills perfected, well I am getting close. So whether we will be close to city life or small town life I feel well versed in either one.
~Alie
