Growing up on a farm, I learned just how stressful harvest time is at an early age. There is a very narrow window during which it is possible to maximize your returns. Go too early, and you risk spoilage. Wait until too late, and you end up leaving money in the field. And that all depends on whether the weather holds. Mistime any of those things, and you have to wait until next spring (and another six-figure seed bill) for another chance to make things right.
Despite all that, I can recall multiple times when my Dad and other farmers in our small town (population of 440) would drop whatever they were doing to help someone in need. Sometimes it would be broken equipment (sunflowers have a nasty habit of setting themselves and the combine that is harvesting them on fire). Other times it would be a medical emergency. Regardless of the context, the community would ensure that the crop made it in because that’s what being a good neighbor was about. It is about the decency and dignity we owe each other, freely given.
After graduating college, my family and I have lived in several places. However, it was when we moved back to Minnesota that I felt that familiar sense of shared responsibility. People throw around abstract terms, like “community”, because they sound good. But I’m increasingly convinced few have first-hand, lived experiences with what it means to be a good neighbor, or participate, sometimes at your own peril, in mutual aid.
When Governor Tim Walz was thrust into the national spotlight, I was delighted he used his platform to share and celebrate the Minnesota brand of “neighborly” the upper Midwest and Great Plains practice. The results of the U.S. Presidential election turned out differently than I had hoped. I’ll be processing that for some time to come. However, providing hope is always worthwhile, and I felt moved to thank Governor Walz for representing Minnesota as he did.
A copy of the letter that I dropped in the mail today is below.
Dear Governor Walz,
I imagine the past several months have been a whirlwind, and I hope you’re finding moments to recover. Before the moment passes, I wanted to take a moment to thank you—not only for making Minnesota a place my family is proud to call home but also for running a presidential campaign with Kamala Harris that inspired hope, appealed to our better natures, and, above all, embraced joy.
Despite the short amount of time America had to get to know you, you became known as the ambassador for Minnesota nice, an alternative example of modern masculinity, and even America’s Dad. As a father of four, I’m exhausted just contemplating that last one. But you energetically took all that on, and then some.
My wife and I both grew up in South Dakota and spent two decades living across the country—Salt Lake City, Denver, and Washington, D.C. When the pandemic gave us the chance to relocate, we carefully weighed our options and ultimately chose to call Woodbury home. It was a big change, filled with the usual uncertainties. However, Minnesota has wildly exceeded our expectations.
The celebration and preservation of natural beauty, strong support for public schools, and a shared commitment to treating others with decency—no matter their gender, creed, or circumstances—are core values that you and other leaders have turned into policy. Among a statewide commitment to being good neighbors, we have thrived. Thank you for being such a vital part of that.
The recent election results were disappointing in many ways. I worry about what the future holds for our allies abroad and our already imperfect institutions at home. Still, as my wife said this weekend, “At least Tim is still our governor.” That’s no small sliver of a silver lining.
I wish you continued success and hope you and your family find peace and rest in the months ahead. Thank you for representing the very best of what Minnesota has to offer—and for inspiring us all to be better neighbors and citizens.
Sincerely,
Matthew Reinbold
