I’m the product of rural Nebraska. I grew up playing in the dirt. Building forts in our shelterbelt. Getting lost in cornfields. I spent more time riding in the bed of a pick up than up front in the cab. Looking back I realize my childhood was equal parts adventure, hard work and freedom. This
I grew up pre-Facebook. Pre-cell phones. It existed but my parents didn’t (and still don’t) have cable. My summer days began with one of my parents bellowing up the stairs of our old farmhouse before sunrise to irrigate. There were often other chores when we got home. And later, we’d irrigate again in the evening
I have to admit, Life in the Burg is a strange animal. I can go on for days with stories of neighbors helping neighbors, community members sacrificing so much of what they have to try and assure a positive future for our village, and so on. But there are times when this environment tests your
The evening of Halloween looks a lot like Christmas morning at our house. Chaotic energy, excitement and an ample supply of sugar. It’s been talked about for weeks between siblings and friends. And it comes and goes just as quickly. When I was much younger, Halloween was just as special. We lived a few miles
It’s been said that we are creatures of habit. Routine is inevitable. Spontaneity is just out of reach. The only real break in the cycle is the weather. Small town Nebraska is a prime example of human nature. Pay attention on your next drive down any of our streets and you’ll have a strong grasp
Step outside early in the morning and you can almost taste the pollen hanging in the air. You never really know if you’re going to walk into a coolness that subtly reminds you that fall is on its way, or if you’ll be greeted by the stickiness that defines a Nebraska summer. This time of
Spoiled or fortunate? It’s a question that often runs through my head during summer break. It also happens to be a pretty popular topic of discussion at our dinner table. On the farm, my summer break was spent irrigating, rogueing soybeans or cutting thistle with my siblings…while our town friends spent most days at the pool or congregating
“Do we know them?” No. “Then why are you doing that?” Not surprising questions from a five year-old. But it didn’t matter if we knew the person or not. In one way or another, we were neighbors. And that’s what mattered. Thirty years ago, there’s a good chance that I asked my own parents those
Regardless of our age, career path or financial situation, our lives are continually evolving. People may say that life doesn’t happen in rural Nebraska, or that the benefits of city living far outweigh those of small communities. I tend to disagree with both of these stereotypes. Life “before the Burg” as I call it, our
“Looks like someone was out having fun.” As we pulled onto Main Street, the faint tracks of a snow packed cookie came into view. There was nothing overly special about the tracks, however they were the only sign of life on that bitterly cold evening. I couldn’t help but try to picture this same scene 25 years