Upside Down Under: Is outmigration the answer?

We have some friends who grew up in northeastern North Dakota, went to college at the University of North Dakota, then worked in Grand Forks for many years.

Then, the husband got a job in Minneapolis that paid far better than anything he could have ever imagined in Grand Forks or Fargo. The wife was able to work from home after moving to the Twin Cities.

For the past seven years, these two, who don’t have any children, are set. Their salaries together total a half million dollars a year, they bought a huge house in an upscale suburb, have seasons tickets to the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Wild professional sports franchises and have purchased the latest and greatest vehicles and motorcycles.

This all sounds really good, right? And it is. One has a dream job and the other is content in hers. Why would this scenario even be questioned, right?

Their house is big and has several bedrooms so guests are always welcome and are treated like royalty when visiting. We’ve made several visits over the years and I can tell you without exaggeration that as soon as we walk in the door, I’m handed a beer and my wife a cocktail to wind down. Then, we’re treated to an incredible meal.

The next morning, no matter what time I wake up, there’s a fresh pot of hot coffee on the counter.

Their friends and family members from northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota have visited as well. It’s especially evident when the UND hockey team is playing in the Twin Cities, or a family member has a high school event in the cities.

This couple, who both came from small towns, have done quite well for themselves and we can’t fault them for that. They both work hard and are 100 percent focused on their respective careers. But they also play hard.

They’ll take a weekend to Las Vegas to gamble, get a flight to Tampa to watch the Twins play the Rays in Tropicana Field and on a whim go to Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry.

Many times wealth and/or fame will go to people’s heads. Not these two. They remain the same boy/girl they were growing up in small-town North Dakota. Although gaining a little weight and getting some gray hairs, they are the same people, with the same demeanor as they had in high school.

That’s the good news. So what could possibly be bad news here?

I’m not a psychologist, but it appears to me that this man and wife are about the loneliest people in Minneapolis or St. Paul. It’s not something they ever talk about, but it is certainly implied.

One thing is they are always talking about family members back in Grand Forks. This is in conversations every time we visit. If a UND game is coming up, they’ll talk about how friends are coming to visit a couple of months out.

The thing is, other than us and UND hockey fans, they don’t get a lot of social interaction. In fact, I don’t think they like their neighbors because of comments that have been made.

(Marvin Baker is a news writer for the Kenmare News and formerly Foster County Independent.)