The Words People Immediately Think Of When They Hear the Word Sedalia

I recently asked the following question on Facebook. "What's the first word that comes to mind when you hear the word Sedalia?" Your responses, for the most part, were disappointing.

Your answers included: flys at the fair in August, lake traffic, and potholes. One person even went so far as to post a meme of the boss baby that indicated Sedalia is a boring town.

I had to ask my Friday Happy Hour partner Mike about flys at the fair in August. He told me, some years, with all the livestock at the Missouri State Fair, biting horse flies can be a nuisance. That's something I haven't yet experienced in working two Fairs, and I hope I never do.

Lake traffic I'm familiar with. Every year, especially Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend you can see traffic backing up to the radio station from the stoplight on Highway 65 by the Best Western.

And one really only needs to drive on our roads to know why in some people's minds Sedalia equals potholes.

There were two very popular responses as well. And the first really popular response is something the City should be concerned about if they're not already. The popular response: meth, or its variations meth heads, and, Meth-alia. In 2022 alone, we've already published five stories about meth and meth busts alone. And there were plenty of stories last year too. It really is a problem, and one the City probably needs to work on further.

The other popular response was by far the most popular, and very heartening. Home. That's right, despite our City's problems it's home. It's family. It's friends.

It won't be the meth problem, the potholes, or the horseflies at the fair I remember. It'll be the night we had to tear our state fair broadcast down when thunderstorms moved in and we all wound up drenched at the Beef House for dinner. It'll be hanging out with James and Deana at the record store with the #fridaynightmusicclub crowd. It'll be remembering the grandstands shake as Foreigner brought the house down at the Missouri State Fair. It'll be how welcome I've felt here since day one.

We can and should try to make Sedalia a better place to call home, but if all you remember about the City when you hear its name are the problems. Maybe you need to look a little deeper.