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Is it just me or has traffic gotten so very much heavier this summer? Here in Lindstrom the Highway 8 traffic has always been heavy, but during the week you could generally get on and off the road with minor delays. The past weeks you need an appointment to get across the road. In the Twin City area the radio traffic reporters tell us that the situation is very much the same. With fuel prices at near record highs, you would think the opposite would be true, but that is not the case.

If traffic, alone, wasn’t a large enough headache, we now seem to be faced with the new problem of “road rage.” It frightens me to think that some hot head has control of a 2-ton machine and has a mindset to “get even” with someone who he thinks wrongfully drove in his area. This past week I read and heard of one of the most bizarre issues, that was a pregnant woman pulled off the road beating another person’s vehicle with a baseball bat. I don’t know what provoked that, but I’m glad I wasn’t the recipient of those actions.

Have all our worlds gotten so small that if anyone or anything intrudes into that small world, that it is our god given right to bring all the wrath we can muster upon them? Fortunately, it is not the majority that react that way, but I do feel the percentage of aggressive behavior, on the road and elsewhere, is on the increase. It not only makes for a bad situation now, but it teaches the next generation that that is the normal way to do business.

As in all parts of our lives, we need to just slow down a little, relax and not explode at the drop of a hat. We need to be tolerant and teach our children to be tolerant because there will always be those who will not play by the rules.

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I have never wanted to live in California and especially not now. What started out as a very serious fiscal problem has now escalated into an even more serious fiscal problem, coupled with a giant media circus. If you have relatives or friends on the coast, call them and share your experiences of electing a celebrity governor here in Minnesota.

The California situation, coupled with the candidate of the day, for the Democratic presidential nomination really have a way of tiring you out. I don’t know about you but I don’t think I’m ready for 15 months of beating, bashing and berating all in the name of politics. But, like it or not, we know that we are subject to a steady diet of name calling, finger pointing, he said, she said type of coverage and won’t it be just wonderful.

Do you think that even in our forefathers wildest imagination that they could have ever imagined that they could have ever envisioned the system getting to this point it is at now? I’m sure they didn’t or they may have changed the rules in the beginning. I long for the time when the people running for office or running government will look at how things can be positively changed, bringing solutions to the table. I also believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.

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The next time you see me you will no doubt notice the ear-to-ear grin I’ll be sporting. The grin will be caused by spending several days with my children, grandchildren and mother away from phones and the hurried world. In fact, if my vacation is really good, I may not come back at all (wishful thinking). Seriously, I don’t think there is anything as special as quality time with family. I hope you got or soon will get your chance for some as well.

It just doesn’t seem possible that in just over a couple of weeks young people all over the area will be heading off to school. Where did the summer go? It was just a blur. It must have something to do with aging. Hope you had a great summer and took advantage of the many wonderful area and community celebrations.

Next weekend Chisago City introduces new dates for the annual Ki Chi Sago Days Celebration. Check next week’s Search and Chisago County Press for all the details and get out and enjoy the celebration in Chisago City.

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