Matt Dobbins

You are a huge disappointment. I will never support a party that supports someone like you cosplaying as a man of decency. Just remember that you will be the reason democrats lose. Don’t be the reason, just resign.

That’s great news!

Image description: A person with long brown hair tied into a small topknot is shown in a close side profile. The sides of their head are shaved in an undercut style, and they have a short beard. They are wearing a blue hoodie and a black jacket. Behind them is a colorful Kansas City Streetcar poster with illustrated streetcars and bright lettering. The photo appears to be taken at or near a KC streetcar stop, with part of a sign reading “Museum &…” visible above. The lighting is warm and highlights the person’s hair and face. The photo was taken in Kansas City by Matt Dobbins.

Do I get to officially enter my bad boy era with this, or is this still my yoga instructor phase? 🤣

Liberty Memorial is where I cast my very first vote. Every time I visit I remind myself that we cannot take for granted the rights we have and we must constantly remind ourselves what those rights are and exercise them.
#kcmo #kansascity #liberty #freedom #democracy

My liberty and freedom came at the cost of my family but I value it and I am willing to fight for both my rights and yours.

Even as an adult, I was not allowed to vote and if I did, there would be consequences and I would lose my family. I did lose my family. This is what happens when you grow up in a cult and it is why I value my freedom and liberty.

Liberty Memorial is special to me. I come here to reflect on the past and dream of the future. I was not allowed to go to public schools. I was not allowed to have friends outside of the ultra conservative religion my parents and family were part of.

Matt in front of liberty memorial in Kansas City MO. KCMO

I was raised and taught that the American government, all political parties, and everybody who was not part of our religion were Gods and my enemy and God would destroy them.

I was not raised to think as a free American citizen.

I anticipate heart burn in my future. But it will be so worth it.

Any thoughts on the order that I should read the works of these minds?

Bertrand Russell, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Adam Smith, Friedrich Nietzsche, Immanuel Kant, René Descartes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, and Carl Jung.

Image Description: A 3x3 grid of book covers showing the Complete Works or Philosophical Writings of nine major thinkers. Top row, left to right: 1. Complete Philosophical Writings of Bertrand Russell — colorful cover with icons of a brain, light bulb, hourglass, and geometric shapes. 2. Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson — dark cover with a portrait of Emerson wearing a black coat and bow tie. 3. Complete Works of Adam Smith — gold and navy cover with the silhouette of a man writing with a quill. Middle row, left to right: 4. Complete Works of Friedrich Nietzsche — stylized cover with Nietzsche’s intense gaze against a red sunburst background. 5. Complete Works of Immanuel Kant: Pure Reason, Practical Reason & Many Others — minimalist light gray cover with elegant serif typography. 6. Complete Works of René Descartes — navy cover with ornate typography; includes “Discourse on the Method,” “Meditations on First Philosophy,” and “Passions of the Soul.” Bottom row, left to right: 7. Complete Works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau — illustrated cover showing Rousseau seated outdoors, writing. 8. Complete Works of John Locke — brown and copper-toned cover with gear motifs; lists “Treatises of Government,” “Human Understanding,” and “Toleration.” 9. Complete Works of Carl Jung — modern teal and gold cover with a stylized portrait of Jung wearing glasses and a tie. Each book has a small checkmark or “new” tag in the corner, indicating progress or recent addition.

Introducing my winter reading project! Several of these thinkers have already influenced my outlook substantially, but I’m looking forward to exploring their ideas in a deep dive project and appreciate how their different philosophical approaches connect and interact.

Forgot to post this here. Happy belated Halloween from the Louvre thief 🤣

Poster at the streetcar stop.

Commuting to work as I wake up with my coffee on the street car is a vibe. #kcmo #streetcar #kansascity

Go get to know your neighbors! Great job #kcmo with the turnout today! #Community

The poster is smiling in front of River market in Kansas City.

The magic of community is that it is a choice to share a space together. A choice to be welcoming to our neighbors, a choice to see beyond our own self, a choice to work towards what we can accomplish together. Make your choices count for something.

Integrity demands honesty, accountability, and consistent ethical standards even when it creates friction. Yet it is always necessary because without integrity, there is no trust, there is no justice, and no meaning to our words or purpose itself.

Integrity is often inconvenient, but it is always necessary.

Feeling like my old self. ♥️🫀🤗

Circumstances change, but actions and character are what endure. Understand who you are not by what possessions you have, who you are around, your jobs or hobbies, or what you are doing, but rather base your identity on the consistent actions you take that affect both yourself and of course others.

Wishing 27th street and McGee had those for the bike lanes. Drivers just continue to park in them with only the paint.

Everyone needs to hear the words “I love you” every single day.

I love you. 💙

Morning will always come, but it is up to us as individuals how we spend the dark night, and what we do to protect those we care for, our loved ones, our community, as this world shifts around us.

Listen to their fears, listen to their wants, needs, and concerns, not in a transactional way, but by holding their thoughts in compassion as if they were our concerns.

Yet the very most powerful thing we can do is to listen intently to the person across from us as they tell us the path they have walked themselves.

One of the most powerful actions a person can do right now to change the world is to have a cup of coffee with our neighbor, express our own personal journey in life, explain how we became the person we have become, and share why we feel the way we do about the world now and where we are headed.

We will not change the world with one demonstration; we will not convince someone in one conversation. Changing minds and hearts takes much time and energy, like the growth of a magnificent tree or the wearing away of a riverbank reshaping a landscape.

Humanity has seen darker times than we have currently, and with each darkness and enlightenment we have experienced, strengthening communities has been key to finding brighter futures.

Everyday so many of us wake up and look around and wonder how we arrived where we are today. More importantly, we wonder how we can make change in a world that doesn’t seem to respond to our cries and concerns.