Despite the fact that I trumpet the greatness of Minnesota from the highest hill, many people are surprised to learn that I was actually born in North Dakota. I'm pretty sure I've blogged before about how I'm usually the first "NoDak-er" that people have ever met when I'm introduced. It's true that I really reflect more of the personality of a Minnesotan - the whole "where the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average" mystique that Garrison Keillor has revealed to the world really is quite accurate in many ways.
But there are certain stories that, when I read them, take me back to my time on the prairie - where the people were quiet but friendly, honest but polite, and generally featured a "this is my plan and I'm stickin' to it" mindset. Once a NoDak-er sets his mind to something, it's usually pretty difficult to get them to alter course. A good example of this is a recent story that I ran across about a high school kid who decided he wanted to drive his prom date to the dance via tractor. Now, had I taken my senior prom date to the prom in a tractor I'm pretty sure she would have totally gotten on board and made a prom dress uniquely suited to the occasion. Of course my senior prom date was an exceptionally witty person with a great sense of humor. Somehow I am skeptical Ms. Bachmier was so accomodating. Although she did wear a dress that "almost exactly matched" the color of the tractor itself, so maybe I'm not giving her enough credit.
But the real question (no doubt being asked by all the male readers out there fondly recalling their senior proms) is: why would you want to drive your high school date to the prom in a tractor? I mean, where are you going to go make out after the dance if there's no backseat and any cop with half a brain is going to investigate a tractor parked down by the river? I mean, a car - sure the cops know it's prom night and they know what's going on. But a tractor would just attract too much attention...
But there are certain stories that, when I read them, take me back to my time on the prairie - where the people were quiet but friendly, honest but polite, and generally featured a "this is my plan and I'm stickin' to it" mindset. Once a NoDak-er sets his mind to something, it's usually pretty difficult to get them to alter course. A good example of this is a recent story that I ran across about a high school kid who decided he wanted to drive his prom date to the dance via tractor. Now, had I taken my senior prom date to the prom in a tractor I'm pretty sure she would have totally gotten on board and made a prom dress uniquely suited to the occasion. Of course my senior prom date was an exceptionally witty person with a great sense of humor. Somehow I am skeptical Ms. Bachmier was so accomodating. Although she did wear a dress that "almost exactly matched" the color of the tractor itself, so maybe I'm not giving her enough credit.
But the real question (no doubt being asked by all the male readers out there fondly recalling their senior proms) is: why would you want to drive your high school date to the prom in a tractor? I mean, where are you going to go make out after the dance if there's no backseat and any cop with half a brain is going to investigate a tractor parked down by the river? I mean, a car - sure the cops know it's prom night and they know what's going on. But a tractor would just attract too much attention...
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