AD ASTRA PER ASPERA

It has been quite some time since I have had the kind of visceral experience that only the town of Lawrence has to offer. I know that moving into Overland Park was the best financial decision that I could have made, but it is safe to say that I miss living in Lawrence. There is something to be said for downing a bunch of whiskey with two of your closest friends, sneaking beer out of the bar and running from rooftop to rooftop above Mass. Street. Sadly, I fear that those nights have long since passed. My friends no longer call Lawrence home, and there is very little to tie us to the town altogether. Don't get me wrong. I have a very good time with my new friends in Kansas City, and there is much fun to be had here. However, Lawrence has a certain panache; A certain guttural attraction that knows no bounds. It is hard to pin down, but I certainly miss it. On several occasions I narrowly avoided arrest, assault, alcohol poisoning, or some other situation of discontent. During one such incident, the driver of a Jeep Cherokee in front of me sprayed my windshield with his washer fluid, simply because he thought I was following him too closely. I responded by calmly pulling alongside him and motioning for him to roll down his window. Upon doing this, I hurled the orange juice that I had in my car through his open window, drenching him with a pulpy orange mess. Needless to say, a short car chase ensued, but his bulky Jeep was no match for my nimble monument to German engineering. Was my reaction a bit rash? Perhaps, but that fucker had it coming. His sideways visor and the Dave Matthews Band sticker on his rear windshield convinced me of that much. Fuck that guy.
Lawrence itself is an enigma. It is the only town in all of Kansas to consistently vote Democrat. It presents itself as a progressive environment, yet there are many reasons why it fails to live up to that standard. It is expanding in all directions, and the new construction is very reminiscent of Johnson County. The town has implemented a smoking ban that mandates that bars and restaurants are strict smoke free environments. For such a progressive town, It sure presumes a lot. More legislation insists that a certain percentage of a businesses profit must come from food sales, if it is to be allowed a liquor license. This is an effort to curb the ever growing number of bars in the downtown area. Both of these mandates take power away from the small business owner, and keeps them from deciding how to run their own business. Yet, in spite of its faults, Lawrence remains to provide all of its inhabitants and patrons with a blast of a time. Even if you don't get your jollies from hiding from police officers behind air conditioning units like me, there are plenty of other, more legal means of entertainment. The bar scene is top notch, and because of this, many many great bands are drawn to this little corner of earth. There is something in this town for people from all walks of life, and for being in the middle of the bible belt, it isn't half bad. I wouldn't mind living there again, but for the time being, it is not so bad Living in Kansas City. Even though the experiences that I have had here are pale in comparison to the debauchery and sinister glee that Lawrence provides, it is just a short jaunt down K-10, which is close enough to experience on any given night.