Opinion

It’s funny how connection works. You can go looking for it in all the obvious places – shared interests, family ties, long-held friendships – and come up empty. Then, out of nowhere, it can surprise you. It can spark over something ridiculous, like a niche reality show, and leave you wondering how we ever thought the connection would need to be forced to begin with.

I used to think the definition of a small town was simple: it was all about population. Growing up in Excelsior Springs, it felt obvious.

Most of us will never know what someone else is carrying. We walk past each other in the store or cross paths at work.

We say it all the time – be kind. We write it on bumper stickers, hang it on classroom walls and post it on social media with pastel backgrounds and pretty fonts.

The house has been too quiet this week. No heavy paws shuffling down the hallway.

Dear Editor, I am writing to urge you and the public to condemn President Trump’s cuts to important programs like Head Start. The main problem I have with such cuts is that they offer no alternative to what would otherwise be a perfectly acceptable policy or program.

My mom has always been the toughest person I know. She embodies resilience in a way that goes beyond the typical no-nonsense strength of mothers; there’s a fierce determination in her spirit that’s truly inspiring. When she shares tales from her past, it’s easy to believe her when she says she used to play rugby. That gritty sport was more than a pastime for her—it was a fierce passion that ignited her zest for life. The bruises she carried weren’t just marks of battle; they were badges of honor, symbols of her unyielding spirit. Each story she tells about the matches, the camaraderie and the victories paints a vibrant picture of her youthful adventures, adding a splash of color to my childhood memories and shaping the way I view strength and resilience.

Dear Editor, On May 1, a small group of 10 to 15 Cameron Road Neighborhood Association members attended a town board meeting in Mosby at their town hall. David Rhodus, along with Ken Ideker and their lawyers, attempted to get the City of Mosby to accept their petition for Mr. Rhodus to voluntarily annex 89 acres from unincorporated Clay County into Mosby. Rhodus would then be able to lease his land to Ideker to expand mining operations.

I recently fell down a Tik-Tok rabbit hole – which is how all great legal discoveries begin, right? – and came across a video listing strange Missouri laws. Most of them were things you’d expect from a state that once tried to regulate where you can bathe your mule ... don’t ask. But one in particular stood out to me, not because it was absurd, but because it was personal in a weird way.

Local government and popcorn Now that the local election is over and the final votes have been counted, I find myself unwinding in the only way I know how – by binge-watching reality TV. It’s my guilty pleasure, my stress relief and, strangely enough, a lens through which I’ve begun to view the world around me.