We are all Weeds

We are all Weeds. The Tri-Cities Washington is an interesting place. So many of us have been blown by the winds from every corner of the world. Many of us have become planted here. Some have transplanted to other areas to pursue greater things, but have never forgotten the one place they have started. I find it interesting that I have become rooted in a community that up until my junior year in high school, I never knew existed. I grew up in the Ag town of Grandview some 30 or 40 miles any larger city. I was working on finishing my (sports) medicine degree and decide to continue at Columbia Basin College. At first I felt like a plant in the wrong place. It didn't take long to discover that the climate was good and I could thrive here. Weeds are often collected and transported with crops to areas where they become well adapted. In the 1940's many were uprooted and carried to Hanford. Jobs were good and the mission changed the world. Some people have appreciated weeds for their tenacity. The people who became seeds of our cities in the early years of Hanford changed how all of us live and grow. What is a weed? I looked at the Wiki definition. Some Weeds are noxious. They overtake and poison the other (trans)plants. Left unchecked, they often compete with other plants or cause harm. Many more have found root in our community and have provided so much to our town. I've met so many people of education, talent and passion. Some not so Famous to most outside our community. We as weeds adapted to this environment. Some later dispersed to other areas and live in a variety of habitats, establishing a place in even more strange places. Many of us stayed to grow here. We all remember the first place we grew.