Lake Wobegon = Stearns County, around Freeport or North W. of St. Cloud, or some where in Central MN

"And then the cosmos peters out, and you emerge from hell and come into paradise, rural Minnesota." - Garrison Keillor on when you leave Division St., Saint Cloud, MN

I've spent a good part of my life in Central Minnesota. I was born in St. Cloud, and would stay there for the next 6 years. We moved to Blaine, MN, a suburb of the twin cities 60 minutes South on HWY 10. We would return to St. Cloud in the following 12 years for family events and holidays. After graduating High School I took the big leap back to St. Cloud to attend the State College. 5 years and 140 some odd credits later, I find myself back in Blaine. I am not yet done with college, with only student teaching left which will be done in another suburb, but I find myself with a longing to be once again inside of Stearns County.

If you were to take a map of the world and take a red marker to the places I've been to, (imagine the Indiana Jones movies when he takes a plane and it shows a red line following the plane) you would see a few streaks jutting out of the state of Minnesota, but mainly a big thick red line going back and forth between Blaine and St. Cloud on Hwy 10. That has been my life. This 60 mile radius. I think of people who have lived and died in the same town, my Grandpa was one of these people. I used to regard these people as close minded, or no fun. I now know the beauty of these people. The ones who stay. They are as if not more unique then your Jet Setter. They make up a town or community, or in this case the stories of Lake Wobegon. If I were to die tomorrow, you would look back on my life, and you could say the same thing. He lived and died in the same town. My town being the twin cities to St. Cloud tri county surrounding area, but it is forever my town.

I plan to live a long life. In this life I want to travel as much as possible, but I will always know where home is. My home, as it is to many others have been made into fictional stories by Garrison Keillor. My first introduction to Keillor came in the form of his radio show on Saturday nights. "A Prairie Home Companion" came on as we left Saturday Night Mass from St. Timothy's on the car ride home. I don't think I realized the significance of the area he was speaking of, but I like the humor. It's an odd humor, with the sweet spoken words of Keillor making them feel more of fact then fiction. There's an episode of the Simpson's where the family is watching TV. Homer is watching Garrison Kiellor, and the television audience laughs. Homer responds with something "What the hell is this? Why are they laughing?" It was that kind of comedy.

The whole point of this boring dissertation is to remark on the movie "Prairie Home Companion" being filmed in St. Paul. Read the linked article to find out more about the movie, but It's about the closing of 30 year old radio show similar to Keillors. It's bringing in A list actors and some other actors like Lohan. Maybe this role will prove her abilities. I'm really looking forward to this movie because it sounds like it has some substance to it or an actual story. Here's the article about the Movie. - Movie Link

Other links I would recomend related to this:

National Geographic: "In Search of Lake Wobegon"

A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, homepage