Home

August 2008

A Guide to Minnesota

At the end of the month, the Twin Cities are going to be in the spotlight during the Republican National Convention Needless to say, this is a very exciting time for all Minnesotans, particularly the residents of the lovely City of St. Paul.

For those who plan to watch the proceedings, the following tips from a former South Dakota girl who landed in Mary-Tyler-Mooreville many moons ago may be helpful in understanding a few of Minnesota's quirks:

1. Minnesotans like to be first and we want others to know it. Back in '73, when then-Governor Wendell Anderson landed on the cover of Time magazine holding a fish and proclaiming that the good life exists in Minnesota, we realized that we had arrived. We were not some flyover-land wannbe. We were a happenin' place. We still are and don't you forget it.

2. A couple of years after the infamous Time magazine article, a pop song was written about Minnesota. The song began with a loon cry, and the lyrics, "Minnesota - I can almost smell the air. I can feel her hand, and my feet in the sand in the lakes under trees back home." You can still hear it on the oldies stations.

3. We can boast about many famous people who are from here, and although we hate to admit it, some of them had to leave Minnesota to get noticed.

4. We're having a birthday. We're 150 years old, and we look good for our age.

5. We're competitive. There's a natural rivalry and sisterly affection between the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Sometimes there's even a love-hate relationship between the two cities. Minneapolis wants to be hipper and more vibrant than St. Paul.

Years ago, it didn't take much for Minneapolis to be more exciting than St. Paul. When I first arrived here, St. Paul "rolled up the sidewalks" after 5 p.m. and hardly a soul could be found downtown. Not to be outdone by St. Paul and the GOP Convention, jealous Minneapolis decided to host a civics festival at the Convention Center. Take that, St. Paul!

6. When it comes to other Midwestern cities, we can be incredibly snooty. Whenever one of our sports teams or their owners threatens to leave us, we wail that we'll wind up being a "cold Omaha."

7. Although Minnesotans are thought of as mostly Scandinavian, our largest groups of immigrants were also from Germany. We are much more diverse today. Walk down any street in the Twin Cities, and you can hear a number of different languages.

8. When you're not from here, it can be hard to find a niche; however, we welcome transplants. We even have "Minnesota transplant" groups in other cities, such as Omaha, which, incidentally, is a lot warmer than here. The first time I was introduced to a member of one such transplant group, I was certain she had lost a kidney; however, she was merely homesick for the "land of sky-blue waters" and was searching for community among other Minnesota expatriates.

9. When residents of the Twin Cities first meet, they sometimes ask each other where they went to high school. This small detail serves as a socioeconomic "indicators" of sorts. When you grow up in the Dakotas, no one cares where you went to high school.

10. We like statues, the bigger, the better. Herman the German lives in New Ulm. His buddy Paul Bunyan has been spotted in numerous Minnesota locations. His alleged girlfriend can be found in Hackensack. The Jolly Green Giant lives in Blue Earth.

11. We love our lakes. Thingstodo.com claims that "Because of its thousands of lakes, Minnesota has 90,000 miles of shoreline, more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined." That also means Minnesota summers can offer up some punishing humidity, not unlike Florida.

12. In the winter, we celebrate with a Winter Carnival and we sometimes build ice palaces--on lakes. Wintercarnivalfanclub.com says it all.

When the convention begins, the Twin Cities will show off for you. Don't be surprised to hear some bragging coming from Minnesotans themselves!

Other Minnesota tidbits

Information Please is a great resource for finding out more about us.

The U.S. Census Bureau offers these quick facts about Minnesota.

The Minnesota Historical Society offers these Minnesota topics.

You can find out more about Minnesota heritage from the Immigration History Center at the University of Minnesota.

Here's more on famous Minnesotans, from the Minnesota Legislature.

Teresa
tcallies@Hotmail.com

Other editions of WITNE