Here I am in Minnesota for a wedding tomorrow. I flew in early this afternoon from Los Angeles to Minneapolis.
If you know anything about me, you know I am a born and bred Minnesotan. I know how to pronounce those long Os very well. I've got "You betchya!" down pat. When I get back home Saturday, the accent will be uncontrollably back in play. It already is, and so far all I have done is check in to the hotel and eat at a Delano bar.
The flight in was interesting. I've taken it a few times, usually the red eye. Today, broad daylight. As we were coming into the state, I realized we were following along Hwy 212 from the west. Regardless of the cloud cover, I could see the ground clearly. I was able to identify towns.
There it was - my hometown of Hector. I could tell by the way 212 and 4 intersected, and by the little airport on the south side with the cemetery across the highway from it.
Next was Buffalo Lake, followed by Stewart, Brownton, Glencoe, etc. I could even see Hutchinson off in the distance.
I even spied a certain lake not too far from Oakdale Country Club known for the skinny dipping back in the day.
As a kid and teen, these were my stomping grounds. Seeing them from above brought out the tears. It was a pretty great childhood, for the most part. I had lots of freedom to explore the area and explore myself. I wish my kids could've had my childhood. For those who know me well from back then, not all of it. You know who you are and what I mean. Let's just leave that there.
My stories reflect the area, the people, my experiences. They say to write what you know. The stories are still fiction, but the feelings, lessons learned, lessons not learned, the never-ending questions - those are all over the place, seen between the lines.
Never mind the calendar. To a person accustomed to the Southern California hot valley, fall has arrived here in Minnesota. The only things missing are the brightly colored leaves. The green is still very lovely, especially with the fires continuing to burn in the west. I can feel the wet in the air here.
I'm looking forward to seeing loved ones tomorrow. Delivering some books. That will lighten up my suitcase.
Sometimes it's good to come home.
I've rambled enough. Time for bed.
If you have a comment or question, or a blog idea, shoot me an email at humorinchaos@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!
Sarah
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