Hutch

Standing in a room full of people who both look and think like me is a dizzying proposition. It led to many mind-boggling moments at a family reunion in Hutchinson last weekend. I sometimes wonder if my heritage is a blessing or a curse. My late father often railed against our ancestors. "Why did they have to stop in Kansas?" he'd ask. "Why couldn't they have pushed on to California?" The original homestead is unfit for crops and absent of oil. Although I understand my pop's position, I accept that the past can't be undone. And I'm proud of the blood coursing through my veins.