I never understood what the song meant, Pullin' a line.......
I expected it meant that one was doing tedious work. I don't think it had to do with drug abuse.
BUT,
If it had to do with tedium, sitting behind the wheel of the Buick for a total of nearly 30 hours in the last 6 days is Pullin a Line.
We are back. Back from the land of the Dakota. I have much to say and many observations on what I saw. I don't think I will do it here. I am going to do it on another blog. I will then reference it. If you think:
I have no right to speak of ND because:
- I don't live there
- I can't understand ND because I only lived there 40 years
- I have bias against ND because I live elsewhere and can't possibly know what I'm talking about.
I would say, you are really wrong. You have been blinded by the night. It's much like the falderal that took place over the comments of a Mr. Kane in a commencement speech out east that called Fargo ND the Armpit of America.
Wow, the armwaving taking place over that one.
When you throw a stone into a flock of chickens the only one that squawks is the one that is hit. Kane hit.
Now we have much irritation and yelling and screaming.
Read the opinion page from Sunday's Fargo Forum? Yikes!
I suspect that his pronouncements hit close to the truth and it caused the amount of denial you see now.
Consider for a moment, what if Kane had said that Champaign IL was the armpit of America or Bloomington IN, or Kalamazoo MI. All towns not much different from Fargo in size. There would have been hardly a peep. Mild sardonic amusement perhaps. Certainly not the mob defensiveness demonstrated by Fargoites. The other towns know who they are and are confident in it. Fargo?
Fargo, thou protesteth too much.
More on the poor self image of ND-ites soon.
4 comments:
Sounds like maybe you went there with a certain idea about ND people and found what you were looking for. If you want to see pride, look at the DVD about Ellendale that Ken made and look at the faces. Those people might be characterized as actually proud of their town and their state and their place and contribution to it. And might resent you, an outsider, telling them something is wrong.
When that editorial hit the newspaper regarding Fargo being the armpit of civilization, we took a different tack on The Jack and Sandy Show. Instead of villifying the fella', we asked our listeners, "What was YOUR first impression of Fargo?" We got great responses. Two of the most surprising were, 1) "There aren't enough restaurants" and 2) "The garbage in the streets." I was surprised because I thought we had too MANY restaurants,and that our streets are remarkably clean.
Most of the comments were insightful, some were mean-spirited.
The gentleman to whom you referred was wrong...Our mall is not anchored by a gunshop and a Victoria's secret. Supermarkets do NOT sell shotguns, and there aren't blackjack dealers "everywhere."
But, first impressions are first impressions...
Like mine of you, Gleaner. A gentleman with misguided thoughts on economy, social issues and life. But, other than that...you're alright.
Now, why didn't you call?
Seems to this observer that like other body parts arm pits are a necessary part of the body. I don't think there is anything wrong with Teri Hatcher's arm pits. She could wrap her arms around be any time.
I have lived in a lot of places and Fargo might not be first on my list but it would be far from last. It is a bright growing community with a since of purpose and I would be proud to live there and I would be proud to be from North Dakota.
Obviously you were exiled from the state as an undesirable with no constructive or useful traits and now are old and bitter. Every place has something to offer and anyone can see the glass as half empty if they want.... but a positive perspective might serve you better than always being Mr. Negative and the town jerk.
Sometimes, Gene, I dread your trips back to North Dakota because you always take the chance to lecture everyone on how you think it should be and all the things wrong with the state and people and way of thinking, and then to stop anyone from responding, you throw out the usual stuff about why anyone still here is wrong and all your reasons for that, and how we should listen to you because you lived here once.
It gets old.
Without trying to be harsh, I have to say that I agree with Anonymous: you have your own preconceived notions, like a set of eye glasses, and they are very precious to you. You can't visit or think about the state without that set of glasses.
Before you tell everyone else how they just can't see it like you do, consider your own blindness.
Why do you bother? Can't you just let it go? Fix Illinois. You've said on your blog how you love the state you live in and how it's better for you and all that. Why do you keep beating a dead horse, then? Just let it go. You aren't here now. People aren't asking you to fix the state you no longer live in.
Post a Comment