the state of north dakota

"...But, actually, it’s the flat, mute, unforgiving terrain of North Dakota that’s historically turned people away in droves, their dreams scorched to ash.

That’s not to say the land isn’t beautiful. It is. Skies don’t come any bigger; the terrain is so flat in most places, one can practically see the curve of the earth. There’s a quiet, settled feeling about North Dakota, which rests at the exact geographical center of North America. You can stand in a field of grass, hearing nothing but the chirping of bugs, the wind against the earth, and perhaps the beating of your own heart, knowing that this is not just the middle of nowhere, it’s the middle of everywhere. The expanse that flows outward in every direction has a way of making you feel tiny, unprotected, and most disconcertingly undistracted."

those words are taken from an article in a twin cities publication called the rake. i picked it up last week near the end of an outing to my favorite greek restaurant on a night where the temperature loomed around zero and wind chills only aspired to blow that warm. how aprospo.

the article covers all the staples of writing about north dakota, including usage of the words "desolate," "boneyard" and "dust." but it is an interesting article and well worth the read.

some of the things i'll take away from it:

• North Dakota's most recent population of 637,000 is less than it was in 1920
• A professor and graduate student from Rutgers University wrote a proposal called "Buffalo Commons" that suggests the federal government buy land unsuitable for agriculture and turn it into an enormous park. it also suggests that the state become unpopulated
• North Dakota ranks 5th in federal subsidies per capita, due in large part to the number of social security payments.

i'm not an old sage. i'm not well versed in history. but i can see the state i know best and love hardest is changing. and, unfortunately, this time, it may not be for the better.

"The main street has an abandoned bank and gift shop, both with broken out windows. A piece of a "B" rests on an awning over an entrance like an autumn leaf...The sidewalks that are left have been splintered by fierce, brushy weeds. And the surounding blocks of once-tidy houses stand vacant, leaning and creaking, their paint long gone, the weather having had its way with the wood."

please take a few minutes and read the article here. and say a little prayer for my state, will you?