It was three years ago this week that Mary and I opened our CBD store on the east side of Wichita, Kansas, one of the very first in our area. Our beautiful shop in Riverside that we opened later that summer fell victim to the pandemic last summer, but we’re hanging on here on East 21st Street, and after three years, just renewed our lease.
Of course, that was only the first life-altering thing that happened in 2018. The next was the gubernatorial election that fall when Laura Kelly was elected Governor, with our State Senator, Lynn Rogers, as her Lieutenant Governor. After someone (it might have been me) suggested that Mary be considered as Lynn’s replacement, there was a groundswell of people saying “Hell yes!”. Her first response was a resounding ” Hell no!”.
But when the groundswell eventually included several prominent activists and elected officials, including the Lt. Governor-elect, she decided that if there was a chance to make a difference in people’s lives, she would go for it. She rocked her nomination speech, and was chosen handily over the party favorite. The headline in the paper the next day read: “Social Justice Activist to Take Lynn Roger’s Senate Seat”
On her birthday, November 3d, 2020, she was elected by the people in her district to a four year term. I have watched her grow into this job and my respect for her has taken on a groundswell of it’s own. I can’t come close to imagining what my life would be without this woman. Now, it falls to me to keep the store going so she can be as effective as she can be for the people of Kansas. I’m not really a natural at this, but I’m doing my best. Sometimes I don’t walk because that’s the time I have to catch up with her, or other tasks related to the store. Sometimes I don’t write for the same reason.
I need to go over my posts from December to keep me focused. The snow moon is full tonight. My path is clear.