Ad Astra per Aspera
Recently I was talking with friends about state birds, songs, and trees and such and I was shocked to discover that no one knew them!? I know that my home state’s bird is the Meadowlark, tree is the Cottonwood, flower is the Sunflower, song is Home on the Range and so on.
One thing that I also know is the motto of my home state: Ad Astra per Aspera which means “To the stars through difficulty.”
I love this motto. I think it’s a nice phrase to have associated with the place I grew up and I also just love the way it looks and sounds.
And it is cool to know your state symbols.
Cait and I are both from Kansas. I knew all these and even knew that our state reptile is the ornate box turtle and state amphibian is the barred tiger salamander. I asked the Vimeo guys all about their state stuff about a month ago, and NOBODY knew their facts. Made me proud to be from Kansas.
When I moved to New York, I honestly looked up the state motto: Ever Upward.
Props to Caitlin and Andrea. Props also to all those elementary and middle school teachers who made sure we knew.
And props to Mrs. Presnall who cast me as Clementella—think Cinderella with a Kansas twist—in our second grade Kansas Day (Jan 29) play. I’m still trying to get over Prince John saying, “My, she’s a pretty little heifer.”
but the *real* question is, do you know the state soil?
