Letter about the view from my bike…

To the Editor,

We are having a reprieve with a week of stunning weather. Some call it “Indian Summer”; I call it a gift.  As I ride my bike around Harmony, Minn., I am seeing more political signs than I have in the 30 plus years I’ve lived here. This normally polite, private community is wearing their hearts on their sleeves. On my block alone, I counted over 20 signs.

Lately I’ve been more and more stressed by the political circus going on, the very positive Black Lives Matters movement and the recognition that it is time for change and by the virus and by the extreme weather and fires going on in the US.

You have to omit it’s practically Biblical. What is going on here? Just when we thought we were in control, Mother Nature gave us a tornado. There is more upheaval now than I have ever witnessed.

So what do we do? We change, we wise up, we speak out, and we respect our neighbors no matter what they think; because their opinions are just as viable as ours.  But… we can also learn to be more humble, less greedy, open minded and kind. This will help, I promise.

I bought a bike stand so I can ride my bike indoors when it gets too cold. I suspect that is soon. Let’s see if I actually ride it inside. I’ll miss the moments of clarity and poignancy that I’ve had this year riding my bike around Harmony. I hope that I can be introspective riding in one place. Goodness knows this would be a metaphor for what is happening in our country and world. We are riding in one place. We need to change some things. It’s not as hard as you think.

Robbie Brokken

Harmony, Minn.