Today in one of my favorite classes (Rhetoric of Community Building) we had a guest speaker who is the writer of a guide book for the state of Kansas. She has visited all 627 towns/cities in the state and is knowlegeable of who and what each one is known for. She can even tell you which ones have great little coffee houses and who owns them. Did you know that 50% of those places in Kansas have a population of less than 400? (Kansas is VERY rural and my class examines the ways to keep these types alive and why we should.) More importantly, she dropped a great big, interesting piece of information that I want to share with readers regarding small towns.

If you have big dreams that seem unaffordable and you don't know where to start, she suggests starting in a small rural town like the ones in Kansas where business is cheap. She name-dropped about 5 or 6 people who have major industries that they run out of Kansas and sell into Chicago, New York, and California. She said people who either want to stay out of big cities (to raise familes or whatnot), and who want affordable start-up prices should start in small towns.

Not only that, but being in these small towns can easily instill a sense of community and identity. Also, these small places are often looking, begging even for young people to come in and liven up the place. If you have big ideas, it's EASY to get on board in small towns and voice your opinions on city councils or other similar community circles.

The last part I want to share was what she said about some of the ghost-towns. She says the governments are looking for people to reshape towns (we're talking less than 400 population places, so a fairly small area) into something new. She says if you can get through the mild red-tape of idea planning, you can get your ideas put into action and funded if the state is up for it. They want young people with new ideas. She even suggested turning an old ghost-town into a music hub where bands could play and interact. Crazy, but with the right people in charge it could work.

That's all. Your lesson for today is over, but I had to share what I really appreciated today.