I know what you’re thinking…

This morning, I rolled over in my king-sized bed, awoken by the sound of the construction that’s been going on outside of my window for the past year and a half. My 5th floor loft in the Crossroads of downtown Kansas City was becoming more obnoxious by the day. When the annoyance wears off, I go to the kitchen to start my morning coffee and enjoy the view from my corner living room window. Kansas City has five boroughs of its own: The City, Up North, East Kansas City, to include Independence and Raytown, South Kansas City, to include Grandview and Lee’s Summit, and simply Kansas, never to be mistaken for Missouri. The Missouri River acts as a very real boundary between Kansas and Missouri, and in turn fuels the ongoing feud on which side is superior. Kansas is however, without a doubt, the Bronx of Kansas City.

This morning was different than the others. Therapists suggest you write out your thoughts and feelings and such, so I thought, what better way than to turn it into a story. A story about the life as a mom in Kansas City’s version of the Upper East Side. I imagine my life isn’t that different from a lot of the other 250,000 women in this city, and it’s probably time we all find someone, or something, raw and real to relate to, and I guess I volunteer as tribute.

I graduated high school at 17 and immediately went off to a university where I made all the same decisions that most 17-year-olds make. I was a tri-sport athlete so I was able to stay out of some trouble, but I still found the parties, the boys, and the hangovers. A knee injury my freshman year ended my dead-end bound sports career, and I ended up stumbling into a job as a flight attendant and moved from Georgia to Texas to take on the friendly skies. It was at the ripe age of 20 when I found an apartment, and the first boy who would ruin my life, in the metropolis of Houston, TX. My new boy was 6 years older than me, so of course I listened to everything he said, because of course he knew better than me (and my parents). Two years and two kids, three jobs, a greyhound bus, and a heartbreak later, I landed in Kansas City, MO with a new job, no friends, and no man. While I still live in cosmic chaos, since then, I’ve learned lessons on the way about friendships, situationships, and relationships. While Kansas City is known to be one of the worst cities for dating, I can’t help but wonder… is there ANY city that’s good for dating in 2023? Is it the generation, or is it the global mental health crisis? Am I the only person left with the goal of finding my life partner and marriage? Time will tell…