While often referred to as flyover states, rural America can be the calm and example for “of the people, by the people, for the people.” … We often hear of rural decline, which is true in some areas but not all in the rural Midwest. Listen to the conversations; some folks believe that rural decline is inevitable, with the belief that as older generations age and pass on, the younger generations are moving to big cities. In some instances, this is true. Take a closer look, and you see the younger generations returning to rural Kansas. Whatever their reason, it is a spark. Something or someone has drawn them back home, back to where their values and beliefs were formed, and are still alive and well today. So rather than talking about everything wrong with the community, rural life, or Kansas, let’s celebrate the progress our community and rural communities across Kansas have made despite being viewed as a relic of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Read the full post at ICMA.
