We are not in Kansas Toto! (Or maybe we are!)

"One day, while I am still walking this land, I hope to see normal governance in Minnesota again. We could start having it in January 2023. But with the way people in this state now think, 2023 might be more like 2043."

It is nice to be down in the land of Oz once again. Only this time, we came prepped for 90+ temps. Mother Nature mixed that up. It was in the 60's when we checked in. That being said, we are down here for a family event. But that being said, coming down south through Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas is always a treat. To top it all off, this is the week of the Iowa State Fair. The hotel we stayed in was full of folks just waiting for that fair experience. How do I know? Iowa folks are friendly. Lots of chatter in the elevators. Not like the coastal folks.

When we got into Lawrence, it was raining hard. As luck would have it, our room was not yet ready. No big deal - it was lunch time, and we decided to find a place to grab a bite to eat. Shortly after we left the hotel, I got a warning lite that my front right tire was going flat (not the first time). It was still pouring, and we were in a strange part of town. I saw a tire shop (a bit sketchy looking) and pulled in. I explained to one of the employees that I needed air in a bad tire. He told me to wait, and went into the back area of this very dark shop.

After a while, he said the tech would come out soon. He was "airing up" someone else's tire. Soon, in the pouring rain, this young man came our with an air hose. I explained about the front tire. He then went around the truck, checking and filling all my tires. Once he was done, he came up to my wife's window. I had my wallet out. "What do I owe you?", I asked of this young man totally soaked from the rain. "Nothing", he said. "Have a nice day". I tried again, but he would not take a dime. Then it dawned on me. Instead of saying, "We are not in Kansas anymore", at times like this, we should say, "We are not in Minnesota anymore." 

There was a time, when I was proud to say I was from Minnesota. No more. It is almost like having a Scarlet Tattoo. Minnesota is now the land of opposites. The land of Stanger Things. The land of George Floyd, and all the craziness which happened in the aftermath. It is fun to travel to the states which are still "normal". We were once the land of Mary Tyler Moore. Now we are the land of the George Floyd aftermath. Mary Tyler Moore is all but forgotten. 

One day, while I am still walking this land, I hope to see normal governance in Minnesota again. We could start having it in January 2023. But with the way people in this state now think, 2023, might be 2043. Yes, we are that far around the bend right now. And Toto, this ain't Minnesota. But Kansas is still looking awful fine.