Go West…if you want simple, trouble-free, and big skies…where the people live off the land.
Far from the morning news shows, media, and the political ads, I took in the landscape, the people, and the priorities of the people in the state of North Dakota.
Crosby, North Dakota – I didn’t get to see Meet The Press Sunday morning, and I didn’t miss it.
The local newspaper in Crosby, North Dakota (all six pages of it) had nothing in it about the presidential race…but it did have complete minutes of last week’s township meeting.
I didn’t see any traffic…there’s only one interstate.
I saw no political ads in the yards, or on billboards. In fact, there are no billboards.
I asked a local this weekend if anyone even talks about politicians in North Dakota, and his reply was “Oh, Mr. Burgum (Governor Doug Burgum) does a nice job.”
I saw no Wendy’s, Burger King, Chick-fil-A stores…not even a high school football game.
Someone mentioned that the best pizza is at a truck stop on I-94.
I saw no smorgasboards…or even anyone who looked like they’d ever been to one. People here are pretty lean.
I didn’t hear anyone who complained about what government hadn’t done for them, or their cause.
Someone once told me, “We don’t need much government. We just work and take our chances.”
A trip to the local grocery is a two-hour drive to Minot, so they really make it count when they go.
They get what they need when they do go. You buy meat, milk, bread, and eggs…lots and lots of eggs.
You can walk the streets of Crosby, or Noonan, without worry of being panhandled.
You can leave your car unlocked for hours.
For that matter, you can leave your car abandoned on the road if you need roadside assistance.
There is no crime out here, because there are no people with a priority for crime…or need.
There is no talk about poverty, and by eastern standards it’s not that evident.
The people? The friendliest you’ll ever run into – the shirt-off-their-back kind.
A big night between friends? A deck of cards and a poker game in my friend Doug Clemen’s garage.
A big weekend? Pheasant hunting (in season), deer hunting (in season), or moose hunt (resident only, and once in a lifetime).
The closest bowling alley is across the border (in Canada), maybe thirty miles a way. Don’t forget your passport.
Not that there isn’t plenty to see. You just can’t see it in a theater. There are none. You look out the windshield.
The sunrises and the sunsets are beyond the imagination, and different every day in Divide County.
Famous wildlife artist Terry Redlin was a resident of South Dakota, and there’s little wonder here he found his inspiration.
There are no Trump signs, no Harris signs, or public opinions about either one. If you want someone to vote for your out here, stay the hell out of people’s lives….and their wallets.
You don’t see illegals, because there is no money, or hotels, or budget for it. And it really gets cold here in about two weeks.
There are no lobbyists.
Columnist Sonny Fulks writes Buckeye sports and subjects at large for Press Pros Magazine.com.
And did I mention? There is no crime!
I’ve been here many times…because it’s beautiful. It’s simple. Nearly trouble-free if you have enough propane for the winter. And the winters are long.
The local cemeteries are full of ancestors who died of loneliness on the prairie during the 19th century.
And still, even now, there’s only 750,000 people in the entire state.
And no one seems to mind.
Few people move out…of North Dakota.
There’s little question about where South Dakota artist Terry Redlin found inspiration for his nature paintings.
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