This is the second post of a new blog by Matt Porubsky called “satisfactual,” which will be updated weekly, discussing odds and ends about Topeka history and culture, with a little opinion thrown in for good measure.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about Topeka. I have been rethinking, I have been thinking big and I have even had some visioning going on. There seems to be some kind of rallying event every week or so. It hasn’t always been like this in this town. When Leah Sewell and I put together the Jayhawk Theatre Revival in 2006, it felt like we were pulling teeth at times to get people involved and to get people to notice this cavern-like theater in the heart of our city and how we need to assemble to reassemble it before it crumbles forever. Everything is different now. There seems to be some kind of “action” in the Topeka water. So many artists, businesses and organizations are ready and willing to pull out all the stops to make things happen. Whether it is awareness of Topeka artists or revitalization of downtown, stuff is going on in this town. In the past few weeks, this assembling of activism has reached a grand summit. Our sherpa to that summit: Google.

I was skeptical at the start. When I first heard that Topeka was renamed “Google” for a month, I was a little offended. I’m a born and bred Topekan. I have always been proud to tell people where I was from no matter their stereotypical Kansas response. I was proud. I didn’t really understand what was going on with the self-imposed alias. I felt that by renaming our city to be more noticed by the Google Fiber Project that we were just trying to look “cool.” It made me think of a mid-1980’s high school situation where all the cool kids dress in sweet Tommy Hilfiger gear. There is that one kid who doesn’t sit at the cool table and he desperately wants to. One day he finally convinces his parents to take him shopping and every article of clothing the kid gets is Tommy Hilfiger, from his hat to shoes and socks. He looks a bit awkward, not really himself. That next day he walks right up to the cool table and sits down. He says, “What’s up guys?” Everyone looks at him sideways with furrowed brows.

Then things began to happen. I started seeing Think Big Topeka all over the place. In well-viewed places like The Topeka Capital-Journal and WIBW. It wasn’t Google Fiber whatever, but Think Big Topeka. It was like the Google project was secondary to Think Big Topeka. I was very interested then. Around that time, I noticed all the youtube coverage that was happening. My friends at GIZMO Pictures released their “Topeka: A Story of Innovation.” When I was checking that out, I saw some clips I had missed about Think Big Topeka by Dusty Dean and John Ary calling all Topekans to gather around and seize the moment. Dan Billen and Kurt Erkilson put together a song and video resounding with what high-speed can do for relationships and general happiness. I know these artists and Topekans…what was I missing? Why didn’t I get it? But then, came the affirmation for all of these efforts. Remember that kid from a few paragraphs ago wearing all the new choice 1980s Tommy Hilfiger gear? Well, one of the cool kids put their arm around him.

April 1st, 2010: Google changes its name to Topeka.

So, I saw the cool kid put his arm around the wannabe…it was April 1st…it’s a joke, right? Or was it? I was tired of being in the dark. I had seen Alissa Sheley on the television endorsing Think Big Topeka and the Google project. She was one of the founders of Transform Topeka and helped publicize the Porubsky’s documentary. In short, she was my friend on Facebook, so why not? I asked the questions.

“I think Google changing their name to Topeka was AWESOME. I read a bunch of blog posts and tweets talking about it being a big joke on us, and that there’s no way we’ll win the Google Fiber Experiment now. But honestly, I don’t care – they’re missing the bigger picture,” Alissa wrote back.  She continued, “Google knew that move would draw a bunch of attention, attention that would benefit both them and us. I see it as the ultimate sign of gratitude. If you think about it, our re-naming was the first nation-wide headline associated with Google Fiber Experiment and surely upped the ante and excitement of other cities. Their PR campaign for this project spiked and continued to trend upward from that point on. I think this move may have been a test of a future partnership with Topeka. Our ability to capitalize on the opportunity, and use it for all its worth, could potentially dictate Google’s decision for the Fiber Experiment. I don’t think anyone is laughing at us, but instead laughing with us.”

That’s a helluva quote. That’s why I put the whole thing in here. I was coming out of my haze of disbelief and skepticism. But what if the Google thing doesn’t come through? What then? I had to friend Jared Starkey on Facebook, the man who was there when this whole Think-Google thing got started, to answer that question. Here comes another hum-dinger:

“We realized right off the bat that the group surrounding the Google effort was more concerned with making Topeka a better place than getting one company to come to town. That’s why we called it ‘Think Big Topeka!’”

I liked that. It’s not about Google. It is about Topeka. That’s what I was missing…the motive. So what do we do now? The Think Big Topeka group responds with three things:

- Public Awareness

- Community Involvement

- Pride in Topeka

Do I hear beautiful music?

So, I was wrong. I was wrong about several things: 1980’s Tommy Hilfiger clothes’ power of persuasion, the questioning of Topekans’ motives, but most importantly, I was wrong about the sherpa. Google was not the sherpa. The sherpa was Think Big Topeka. They have led a lot of people to this summit and now it’s our chance to shout it from the mountaintops… “TOPEKA KICKS ASS!” Let’s keep this momentum, whether Google sets up shop or not. This is our opportunity. I am happy to know now that when I introduce myself to someone and say where I am from they won’t automatically say, “tornado” or ask if I am a friend of Dorothy’s. They’ll comment like so many other millions would, “Topeka…yeah, I’ve heard of that place.”

Matt Porubsky is not a licensed therapist, statistician, historian or medical professional. But he is the 2009 Distinguished Kansan of the Year in arts and entertainment. Take that! Most of the time he just makes stuff up. But all of these stories are based on actual events.