Being Open to Opportunity

Being flexible is important when taking a journey like this one. I originally planned to be in Kansas City for just one night but I stretched it to two when Dr. Mike Greenfield agreed to share his story.

His family is just coming to the end of a COVID quarantine. While he treated one of the first COVID patients in the state of Kansas and has seen patients at his family practice, they contracted it from elsewhere.

This extra time gave me the time to squeeze in a visit to Independence, Missouri after I interviewed Adam Arredondo of STARTLAND. He shared what it has been like for his wife and he to welcome their child into the world during a pandemic, while helping lead community building activities.

Independence was the jumping off point for folks taking the Sante Fe, California, and Oregon Trails until about the 1850s. You can still drive from the main town square south along the same route. President Harry S. Truman called it home and his presidential library. It felt like a fitting way to weave the past five weeks together.

This flexibility paid off with the chance to walk in the same landscape as thousands of westward travelers while documenting three important perspectives. I’m headed into the last two days of this journey. Can’t wait to see what the road brings us.

When has flexibility given you opportunity?