Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Despite Our Special Status - I Love Minneapolis

Minneapolis or for that matter Minnesota in general is handicapped.

It is cold been -7 this week with wind-chill below -30.
There has been snow and freezing rain.
There is black ice that causes spin outs on the road
You have to pay extra money to live here for things like heat, gloves, mittens, jackets, salt, shovels.
There is a cost in time takes time to shovel, plow, scrape your windows, warm up your car.

In almost all respects you can think of it is a flat windy, cold and inhospitable place to to live.

Yet, there is this vibrant culture that exists in this place. The arts, The museums, the shows, the sports, the bars, the restaurants, the clubs, the libraries, the open mic nights, the different cultures clashing in feast for the senses along EAT Street, Uptown, Downtown, Frog Town, Dinky town. The intellectual pursuits of the universities that ring the cities.

It is like an oasis in the ice.

Tuesday morning I went out to start my car it was one of those colds wear your bones hurt and you get fatigued doing just simple things. In this temputure I saw a man smile and I wasn't cold any more.

I wonder what we would become if we didn't have the handicaps or are we a great city because of them?

Some places are only special because of the weather, I say we are special despite the weather.

4 comments:

Lauren Elizabeth said...

I've never been up there. Milwaukee has been bitterly cold lately though, too. Glad you can see the positives through the cold.

Rocketstar said...

Great post man, I miss you and mpls.

Ma said...

if you're trying to make me miss MN it's not working!!! I'm sooo glad to be celebrating xmas where it's 81 and sunny with a nice trade wind today.... I do miss the people though, but you fools can always just come and visit me, escape the bitter frozen tundra and see smiling happy aloha faces to cheer you up too!!
Mele Kalikimaka BriGuy and a Hauoli Makahiki Hou!!!

Michelle's Spell said...

The Midwest cannot be beat! Merry Christmas!