Lebanon, Kansas, ends its annual Bash with a golf tournament. I was told this year’s was the largest group they have ever had.

I have photographed many golf events over the years, but this was a first, a unique, historic sand green golf course, where the putting surfaces are made of packed, oiled sand instead of grass.

On top of that, the parking lot was full of trailers since all the players brought in their own carts. It was unlike any golf event I have photographed before.

I am not a player myself, but I could see myself playing a course like this.

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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.

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This is Frank from Lebanon, KS. One of the portraits I took today as I document the town. Selling watermelon out of his white Caddy. It was great talking to him and getting to know his story. On top of that I grabbed a watermelon that I enjoying.

Tomorrow is the town’s annual celebration, the Lebanon Bash, celebrating 150 years of the town and 250 years of the country. I hope to take even more portraits of those living in the center of the US.

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Had a random opportunity to take some special photos this morning.

I am in Kansas again, Lebanon for the weekend, working on the second half of my Middle Ground project. That meant a 3AM wake-up, 4AM arrival at the airport, and sitting at the gate around 5. It was quiet, a bunch of people who had all dealt with a similar schedule so we could sit in the quiet together.

Then from down the hall came music. “Celebration” blasting from a speaker. I turned to see a group of Delta employees coming our way with a food cart, cake, and balloons. It felt completely out of place and time—a PM attitude in an AM time slot.

Turns out there was a real reason to celebrate. Miss Maureen, one of the flight attendants on our flight, was celebrating a remarkable anniversary: 55 years with Delta.

There were speeches, congratulations, cake, food, and applause from everyone sitting around the gate. When it came time for photos, I offered to take some. Their phones, my cameras—it didn’t matter. I had all my gear with me heading to Kansas anyway.

I got to talk with Maureen and some of the other flight attendants during the flight. It was an honor to unexpectedly become the photographer for a small part of a pretty remarkable day.

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New sports/school season started for me today – first up Medway High Schools football and cheer.

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