All Roads Lead Home by Kim McCully-Mobley

Send us Fan Mail We take some time this week to revisit the legends and stories of our favorite Aurora, Missouri Mascot---that beloved spotted Houn' Dawg. The tale goes back well over 100 years and involves grit, spunk, tenacity and a few come from behind surprises. This unique mascot shows up in songs, poems, tales and headlines. We love him dearly. Here's to the next 100 years of Houn&...

Send us Fan Mail Jim Sawyer was a colleague and a friend for years back in my hard-hitting journalism days. I learned a great deal from him. He has been gone 21 years and I always reflect on him when September rolls around. He was strong, kind, brilliant and loved stories. He was a master at telling them. He was a good listener, too. I miss him.

Send us Fan Mail It's true. You can' pour from an empty cup. You also can't really love others the way they deserve until you learn to love yourself. I wish I had learned those things earlier in life. But, at least I finally learned them. After all, I am a late bloomer.   Take a listen to this week's podcast and see if there is something there for you. Join me in my journey tow...

Send us Fan Mail We have another Aurora legend celebrating a big birthday on Tuesday, August 20th. He literally inspired hundreds, if not thousands, of students to be successfull--both in and out of the classroom. Gene Kirkham will be turning 90. They broke the mold for band directors with him, for sure. This week's podcast is dedicated to him. If you can spare a few minutes, grab a card and...

Send us Fan Mail As the sultry hot days of July 2024 wound to a close, my son took his mother on a perfect adventure. She was able to enjoy some of her favorite things in a short 11-hour time span that she will always remember. We were able to spend 11 uninterrupted hours together and travel 484 miles across Missouri in the process. I don't know that I've ever been to Macon, but it now h...

Send us Fan Mail If you attended Aurora High School during the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s, chances are--you were exposed to the exercise regimen prescribed by Coach Poss Jackson and the Chicken Fat song. Poss turns 100 years young during August and will get celebrated in style with an open house at the Missouri Veterans Home in Mt. Vernon. His legacy is one of discipline, humor, hard work and success....

Send us Fan Mail 1969 was a time for change. Woodstock made headlines. People were often protesting the Vietnam War. A new dynamic duo--Paul Newman and Robert Redford--would soon steal hearts the world over with their performance in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Hairstyles were creative. Music was phenomenal. Tie-dye was in vogue and cars were cool. Take another trip down memory lane with me...

Send us Fan Mail Quite often--I hear voices. I don't always talk about them or tell anyone for fear they will think I'm a little off center. I think these voices are echoes from my past. They are tied to my journey--both the one I've taken and the ones I've yet to take. But these voices say things like: Just do it...Follow your heart...Your story isn't over it...or even--T...

Send us Fan Mail My latest podcast is a makeshift tribute to my friend and colleague, Bill Baker. Bill was a champion for all things Aurora. He was kind, loyal, supportive and strong. A man of great faith, he believed in the good in people.  He went home to Heaven last week on the 4th of July. He celebrated his patriotism in style as he walked through Heaven's Pearly Gates.  We will miss him....

Send us Fan Mail I don't believe much in coincidence. As a chronic overthinker, I always think everything has a reason. So, when a yellowed June 30th, 1932 newspaper fell into my lap on June 30th, 2024, I decided I was to pay attention. I scanned the newspaper for messages. I found a few. I am sharing some of them this week. I will share a couple more later. In the meantime, stay cool, celebr...

Send us Fan Mail A couple of social media posts about a 1910 auto tour had me thinking about the backroads and byways of this region I call home. The lure of the open road is one filled with picnics, fishing holes, adventures, scraped knees, sweaty pigtails and sometimes Spam sandwiches. Join me on a journey that goes all the way back over 100 years.

Send us Fan Mail Prayers are being answered for me and my family every single day. A colleague told me 30+ years ago that learning was a lifelong journey. He was my mentor at Drury University, where I had launched an extensive plan for my master's capstone and long-term plan. Little did I know then how right Dr. Dan Beach was! Here is the next podcast about a new role I have agreed to do for...

Send us Fan Mail This week marks yet another milestone for me. I am 63 years old! I was born on a Sunday at 2:30 a.m.--in 1961. I was six weeks premature and my mom supposedly thought my arrival was just gas from the sweet potatoes she had eaten for supper. I slept in a dresser drawer until they were quite sure I was going to live, I guess. I have been defying the odds ever since as my story has u...

Send us Fan Mail It's so easy to get into our daily routines and block out the people around you. Sometimes we are under deadline. Sometimes we have a big, looming task in front of us that demands our attention. I have found it quite rewarding in recent weeks to reach out to a couple of strangers who happened to be placed in my path. It didn't take much time to hear their stories, reflec...

Send us Fan Mail To know him is to love him. He's got a heart as big as all outdoors. He sings John Denver songs at the top of his lungs and makes you want to join in. He can do the Macarena, the YMCA dance and outwork any 10 people I know.  His name is Chris Ackley and he has been a friend of mine for almost 60 years. Recently, he was named one of Aurora's Hometown Heroes. Join me in re...

Send us Fan Mail While 1939 was a banner year for movies and music. It was still a time of tenacity, endurance, sacrifice and teamwork for Aurora, Missouri, and thousands of communities just like us across the American heartland. Take a trip down memory lane with us this week as we take a minute to celebrate the 85th Birthday of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce. And, cheers, to our favorite redhead,...

Send us Fan Mail We wrapped up the fourth All Roads Lead Home Mural in May. We will be installing it in June--where it will reign over those traveling Highway 39 for the next several decades.  The project is patriotic and literally stunning. Pictures don't do it justice.  In essence, we will be dedicating this historic building back its roots and the heroes who sacrifice their own well-being...

Send us Fan Mail Endings are sometimes bittersweet. We are excited for the next leg of the journey. We want to find out what life has in store for us. I was asked to put together my best advice for this year's graduates. I read this to them this week at our Senior Celebration Assembly. I have taught at the university level for over 32 years. I have taught at Aurora High School for 20. I like...

Send us Fan Mail Connections. Relationships. Journeys. The beauty in much of our work here on earth lies in the imperfect roads we take along the way. As we celebrate new beginnings and observe a few endings, let's keep looking at the possibilities we can achieve together along the way.

Send us Fan Mail The 4th All Roads Lead Home Mural is underway. It is classic, patriotic, colorful and huge! Soon, it will greet folks on Highway 39 as they enter and leave Aurora's city limits. The patriotic project has been designed by our own muralist---Raine Clotfelter, who is trying hard to retire. Later this year, we will dedicate this one to area veterans and first responders. Stay tun...

Send us Fan Mail My college students have been working hard. I have been working harder to keep up with them. We have talked all things leadership, philanthropy and communication. I have used the texts, additional resources, guest speakers, personal experiences, support from my field of colleagues and friends and more to help prepare them for the real world.   With our shared dialogue, it has beco...

Send us Fan Mail Last week found a covey of students joining me at a meeting of the Aurora Rotary Club for their annual speech contest. Every year I am always so impressed with them. I am the Mama Duck in the room beaming at her ducklings. The criteria is simple. They pick a topic about their world that they would like to change, grow or improve. The do some research, formulate a main idea, develo...

Send us Fan Mail Our small rural community is nestled in the Ozarks region I call home. It seems we have been hit hard in recent years with tragedies involving our teenagers. One such event occurred here in the park on Easter Weekend. I'm not sure what the answers are.  I wish LOVE could cure all ills. In the meantime, we need to make sure we are there for those who are grieving. We need to s...

Send us Fan Mail Last week was magical. I was invited to serve on a panel for Ozarks Teacher Corps. This eager group of new teachers--getting ready to embark on their respective rural school journeys--welcomed us with open arms at the Springfield Nature Center. I was able to revisit my why, see some old friends from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, and recall why Sense of Place work is so v...

Send us Fan Mail My friends, Brad and Kari Boettler, agreed to allow information from a police investigation to be shared with the public in the wake of their son's January 3rd suicide. Evan Boettler was the best of the best. He was a stellar student, a role model, a fun kid with a sense for adventure. He loved his family, his friends and his community. I miss him every day. He was a bright s...