What All Kansans Get Tired of Hearing

Kansans know that the middle of the United States gets boring every once-in-a-while. Sometimes, Kansas is pretty cool, okay? Not everyone was cut out for the homey, community-building, “simple life” Kansas portrays. This is understandable, but sometimes your constant outsider nagging and questions are tiring. 

1. “The drive to get here was extremely boring. I had nothing to look at.”

Yes, I-70 from one end of the state to the other is uninteresting, and it's the fastest way to get to where you were going. Take a drive through the Flint Hills or a cruise down country roads for a few hours and you will be surprised to find that Kansas has some elevation. Not mountains by any means, but there are some beautiful hills. Also, the back roads are quite the opposite of boring.

2. “What is that weird green thing doing out there?”

That “weird green thing” is called a combine and it cuts crops. Oh, and the person driving it is called a farmer. That farmer works night and day to plant the crops, cut them and drive them to a big white elevator so the crop can be distributed to companies that make your food. These crops also feed animals, like cows, which most eat. Thank a farmer and maybe he will give you a ride on a combine. It’s exciting, trust me.

3. “THE WEATHER IS SO BIPOLAR!”

One day it is sunny and 75; the next there are three inches of snow on the ground. Kansans hate it, too. Hell, most of us want to pack up and move on weeks like these. The fact that we don’t means we have too much love for the state to leave (even if we do not admit it). So, get over the weather because we have dealt with it for our entire lives.

4. “Everyone farms around here.”

Actually, most people that make up a good-sized town are the exact opposite of a farmer. They have a nine-to-five job just like you. Just because someone drives a truck and lives in a small town does not make them a farmer.

5. “Hey, Dorothy! Don’t you have a tornado to catch?”

HAHA… cute. Come up with that yourself?

6. “So, what do you do for fun?”

The supply of theme parks, shopping malls and random streets and buildings to explore is often in short supply unless you are in Kansas City, Wichita or Topeka. Living in Kansas, you begin to create a special skill called “making your own fun.”

The fly-over state actually can be a wonderfully inviting place to visit and even live ... if you know where to look, that is.