Let's Talk about Something. Y’all know I’m Little Rock blood and heart. That’s never been a question. But let me be real clear: you can be a proud local and lover of your hometown, and that doesn’t mean you never get on a plane, hop in a car, or take a train and GO. Don’t get it twisted.
Also—don’t play with me. I’m clear-eyed about the realities of poverty in our city and our state. I did not get on a plane OR leave the country until my young adulthood once I earned my own money and could afford to act on my curiosities. The extent to which poverty traps young minds in Little Rock is a whole conversation for another post, but I'll give you the short version like this: what a young mind aspires to and what a working class family can afford are two different things. If you are out here building brick by brick, never let anyone shame you about your partial wall. Keep building. Keep pushing. Keep working to grow and expand in every way you can. Be scrappy. Be resourceful. Go get it.
Part of the reason I’m so deeply rooted and conscious about Little Rock is because, for a long time, my whole life existed within the square mileage this city contains and the only choice I had was to make the absolute most of my life and seize every growth opportunity I could find. We had a few family trips, but other than that, I was right here. And it shaped me.
We compare ourselves to other cities—and we should. But sometimes we miss the mark by not acknowledging that those cities (and cities far beyond) are accessible. We act like travel only counts if it’s flashy or expensive. We subtly shame people for low-budget travel—like going within your means somehow means you’re dreaming small. Like driving a couple hours to breathe different air isn’t valid. Like that LIT to LAX on Allegiant is less than.
If you are a person with a curious mind and limited means, never let anyone shame or restrict your version of seeking more for yourself. THAT is what’s small-minded. Not you. That kind of travel still expands your view. Still resets your spirit. And it still counts.
It also opens your eyes to what other people are doing—and what’s possible. Yes, Little Rock is behind on many things. That’s real. But if you’re future-sighted, that can be an advantage. Travel doesn’t just let you compare—it helps you see what’s coming. And if you’re a builder? That’s powerful.
I love to travel whenever I can. And when I’m ready to come home, I’m tapping my heels like Dorothy. But hear me when I say this: go however you can go. Plane, train, automobile. Take that Allegiant flight from LIT to LAX. Hit the road to Dallas, Memphis, St. Louis, New Orleans.
And know this:
You can love where you’re from and still want to leave it—briefly, or even permanently.
Wanting more or different doesn’t mean you love home any less.
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it: I’m in Little Rock BY CHOICE.
And I’m watching what other cities are doing. Cities our size. Cities bigger.
That’s part of what lights my fire and drives my urgency about how much better I know Little Rock can be—
and how much further we have to go.
Because being rooted doesn’t have to mean being restricted.
You can be proud of Little Rock AND be curious about the world—and you should be.