Wondering about Ottawa, Kansas

[38651]

Originally Posted by redmemory

for the right people. I've lived here all my life. Last year I attempted suicide. No matter how hard I try, I can't get out. Its a deep black pit to me.. my self-created prison. SRS tells me to get a job. How many true opportunities exist for underprivleged Ottawans? I get the feeling nobody really cares. I've seen someone from the local mental health center for 5 years. I've been put on medication. I've worked. I've saved. I've been a victim of crime. Yet.. I am still here. Doing the same thing over and over again.

Howdy, Red. You don't say how old you are, or if you are married or responsible for taking care of other people...it makes a difference in whether you can actually get out of town, of if you're just dreaming about it. Try Lawrence or Olathe if you're looking for more action and job opportunities. Pulling a geographic (with job prospects, of course) could be just the ticket. There's a pretty interesting world out there.

Suicide is so final. If you can't get excited about living your life, maybe you could dedicate yourself to helping a truly underprivileged person by putting all your $$$ aside to help that person.

I lived in Williamsburg in the late 60's and thought that was the center of my universe. Ottawa was too big for me. Now I look back and shake my head. Good luck!

[rcarriwill]

sorry to hear about your sadness with the location, redmemory, I have never been to Owatta Kansas but I was looking to buy some property there. But you probly need to relocate. Chicago Illinois and Elgin Illinois has a lot of jobs. A lot of people that work in the factories buy land in the south because it is cheaper. I live in Rockford Illinois it's the most horrible place in the midwest. talk about a hell hole. gangs, crime, theft. prositutes in town. The neighbors are animals. The parents are in their thirties and act like they are in a gang. My mother was from Chattanoga Tennessee she left the south at 18 on her own. She became a stripper. But that was not a good choice but she was deeply in poverty in the south. my grandmother threw her out at 18. so she went to Chicago and became a famous stripper. Im not saying become a stripper. But education and location is your key to get out of this owatta town. there are jobs but not in kansas. try the midwest. I am 45 I started working at 15 and I am currently laid off but I am drawing unemployment. I got a little associates of science degree. it isnt much but it still helps get the quality control jobs or I work as a para at the school district. Try to pray, ask god to help. get an education and get out of that town. Your luck may get better.
Carri

[maryanneoke]

I live there for awhile too. and there are alot of stuck up people there. There are nice ones too. But that is a real clickly town. More then most and everyone is into sports. There is a great BBQ place real close to Walmart. The owners name is Randy, tell him maryanneoke says hi

[AnywhereElse]

You must be aware that smaller towns, especially in Kansas, are friendly to the extent that you were born and raised there. Most are suspicious of strangers as in wondering why anyone would move to their town I think and after you are there for awhile, you'll be wondering too. Ottawa appears to be one of the towns that wants to grow and do this by improving the town but you would be paying for that improvement. So many of the smaller Kansas towns want "tourism" or to bring in businesses/industry with the major stumbling block being that good jobs require skilled labor and incentives to those coming in - those companies don't relocate/start-up in an area without major incentives. Most towns here seem not to want to new residents with best bets being those towns offering a free lot if you will build a house on it, towns with military populations, college towns - diversity where you have a chance to fit in. Watch the sales and property taxes. Once you buy a house in one of the smaller towns, don't count on being able to sell it for a profit or at all depending on the city you chose. If I were in Indiana where I was born, I would sit tight. For the person using "retarded people", the correct terminology is people with developmental disabilities as we have a son with Down syndrome. The term "retarded" doesn't work because so many uneducated people use it as a substitute for "stupid" - I'd rather be in a town with all developmentally disabled people than in a town with stupid people and trust me, I know what I am talking about.

[cp1969]

For the person using "retarded people", the correct terminology is people with developmental disabilities as we have a son with Down syndrome.

You mean politically correct terminology and I refuse to use it. Retarded is still in the dictionary. If you don't believe me, look it up. Nowhere in the definition is there anything about stupidity. I can't help it if people don't know the definition of a word. How are we to know that they don't think the phrase 'developmental disabilities' means stupid?

[SteveHaley]

I bicycled through Ottawa, Kansas, several years ago and found it quite nice. It's a college town with a lovely old brick courthouse and a great(!) coffeehouse.
SteveHaley

[wwaynemcg]

Reading these posts reminds me...you ought to completely disregard anyone's opinion unless they have lived in that location for quite a while. I like where I live, but I got news for the "grass is greener on the other side" crowd: There is NO utopia. You get to where you THINK utopia exists and guess what? Yes, the grass is greener on the OTHER side of the country. I've lived all over, and found I can be happy in most any place. A positive attitude and staying busy helps immensely. If you don't like where you are...work at changing it instead of pursuing your lifelong search for heaven.