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A developing psychopath

A fair question is, what are psychopaths, and where do they come from? Where can psychopaths be found? Truth be told, you don’t have to look very far. They can be found in every part of our society. They can be found in every career and job site. They can be found in the cream of society all the way down to prisons in jails. Every level of socioeconomic status has psychopaths in them. You cannot identify them simply by looking at them. They look like anyone else. A psychopath does not understand the feelings of other people. They cannot imagine how another person feels. ...

My memories of Taylor’s fireworks

It has been said that the only constant is change. This is true except if you’re hoping for change from a 20-dollar bill after filling your car’s gas tank. Tremendous changes have taken place on the farm where I launched my dairy farming career 46 years ago. When I first rented that bedraggled little farm, the city of Brookings was a mile and a half away. The city has since, in an amoeba-like fashion, gradually engulfed the entire farm. The day that I lost my lease on the farm, my elderly landlord’s son informed me that the entire half-section would soon be turned into ...

Slowing down after the summer of speed

When I was young, there was a farmer who lived west of me. George’s wife had passed away, and he lived alone. Several times a day, George drove to town for coffee, meals, and fellowship at Schultz Café. The staff and other old guys were his family. George was never in a hurry to get to town. I knew that if I got behind his green Buick, it was going to be a while till I got to where I was going. I guess he was going about 30 mph. It’s possible that my younger, more impatient self thought he was slower than he really was. Regardless, there are two curves and a hill which made it ...

Summer solstice: an underrated special yearly occasion

Last weekend we had the summer solstice, the longest day of the year with the light of day lasting until late in the evening. The solstice is one of the most underrated days of the year. There’s very little special celebrating, no day off for wage earners. I think there’s a bias against solstices and equinoxes because they were a part of pagan religion. They were a time for reckless celebration, something that went too far for conservative religious beliefs. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about it in his short story “The Maypole of Merrymount” about a Puritan minister who led ...

Thinking about boxes

I’ve been thinking about boxes quite a bit lately. First and foremost is the cedar treasure box that I’ve been building for our 5-year-old grandson. It’s finally done — at least I’ve decided to call it done — after intermittently working on the thing for several months. This project involved some big challenges. Chief among them was that I have no training or experience in the art of woodworking. My carpentry abilities are roughly on par with those of Wile E. Coyote. When I look at the box, all I can see is its imperfections. Then there was the issue of design. Not ...

Wrapping up another successful school year

At our board meeting this week, the board approved a resolution to run an operating referendum this fall. We’ve been addressing the financial challenges that not only Marshall, but all schools are currently facing. In 2022, when we approached the community with a similar request, we had a $1.8 million need. At that time, we were still navigating the pandemic and received COVID funds that bridged the gap for a few years. Those funds have now expired, and with rising costs and no additional funding from state or federal sources, we are once again facing that budget deficit. As we ...