One of my favorite things to say, and believe, is that more than one thing can be true at the same time, even when those things seem to conflict.

The world is a big place, with a lot of different people taking up space in their own parts of it. That is true. At the same time, the world is very small, and we are really not all that different. That is also true.

I landed in Lebanon, Kansas, for the second time in two months on Thursday. This time, the intent was to stay for a few days and capture the town and its people in photos. My timing purposely corresponded with their annual town celebration, the Lebanon Bash. This year’s bash also marked the country’s 250th and the town’s 150th.

Having assisted with some of my own town’s celebrations over the years, I know the work that goes into these things. The committee behind the Bash put on an incredible event: car show, parade, food trucks, arts and crafts, vendors, trap shoot, archery, tons of things for kids, bands, beer garden, and fireworks. It was a full day.

I documented it as if it were my town.

I’ve gotten to know a ton of people here in the last 72 hours. I’ve been given rides to events and introduced to so many people for the portrait project that brought me back here. It feels like I’ve been here much longer than a few days. Great people celebrating their little part of the big world, right in the dead center of the country.

The hardest part has been explaining why I’m doing it, though even that isn’t really hard. It usually turns into a great conversation. In short, this is what I like to do. The idea came to me during the road trip I took earlier this summer, and now here I am.

It was a great, though very hot, day. An experience I won’t soon forget, and I have a lot of photos to share with my new friends that I hope will help them remember it too.

All proving true: this big world is pretty small.

tr/trp