It seems that here in Central Minnesota, things stay the same no matter what is changing around them.
There is still farming going on wherever you look, the tools may change, but the talk in the local diners remains the same; crop yield, seed selection, planting methods, the like. The names may change over the years but there is still the annual fireman's dinner, the pancake breakfasts, the fall festivals, all the trappings; the sights and sounds of small town life.
The pace is relaxed, the atmosphere is friendly. For someone not accustomed to this (or at least familiar with it) it can be a bit off-putting. Everybody wants to chat... "Where are you from? - Are you the third of the fourth child? - How long has it been since you've been here?" It is a bit like a job interview or a first date.
And that's just in a casual encounter setting. Get into a social setting - like the Tuesday Night Whist Club - and the questioning can become downright personal! But the thing is that there is absolutely no offense intended. This is small town social! They want to know what you are and who you are. It really is nice!
So, last night, I went to the Whist club with my parents and true to form, had fun playing cards, and chatting with the locals. Unlike every other time, however, I didn't come in dead last! Nope! Due to one lucky hand in the seventh round (and a good partner for a couple of the rounds) I scored a whopping (and this is said with sarcasm) thirty-one points! The high score for the night was in the high sixties. The low score: twenty seven! I came in second to the bottom. Damn... I should have come in last - as usual - I was robbed!
Wherever you are today, I hope that you're in nice, friendly surroundings!
Don Bergquist - October 01, 2008 - Kensington, Minnesota, USA
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