I Got the Tee Shirt

(Goddard, KS) I had to stop in this town today when I drove through. Goddard, population 3,300 boasts of being the fastest growing town in Kansas.


I didn’t count the people but I did count the degrees. It is cold today in Goddard Kansas. I mean freezing cold. When this picture was taken it was 22 degrees and the wind was blowing. Just a few minutes later we were in the middle of an ice storm.

I think it is getting down to 14 degrees in the morning. Snow is expected during the night. I just looked to see if I had enough underwear in my bag to stay a couple of more days in case I can’t get out of here tomorrow.

The people are friendly in Goddard Kansas though. We stopped at a local convenience store for a bathroom break and while there I asked the clerk if there was a store close by where I could by a Goddard KS tee shirt. She gave me simple directions of how to get to a local sports wear shop. The clerk was looking at me kinda funny and I knew she was trying to figure out my accent. I told her I was from Georgia.

I also told her my name.

That got her attention. I also stretched in a little and told her I was looking for my ancestors that founded this town.

I thanked her for the directions and we headed down the road looking for the store. We couldn’t find it so we turned around and were headed back to get back on the road to head to Wichita. A lady in a car waved us down. I had no idea who she was. We rolled the window down and I was shocked when she said, “Mr. Goddard?”

I answered her through the window, “Yes ma’am.”


She went on to tell me that she was in the convenience store a few minutes earlier when she overheard me asking for directions for a place to buy a tee shirt. She said there wasn’t a store there anymore where the clerk thought and she proceeded to give me directions to another nearby store.

I’m convinced my name did it.

I’m not sure if there are any Goddards living in Goddard, KS but there was one there today. And I was impressed that this lady thought enough about it to chase me down to make sure I had the right directions.

Let it go on record that Bruce Goddard visited Goddard Kansas today.

It was cold as a well diggers bahooty.

But I did get the tee shirt.