July 9th PM

I pulled out of the station and got on Hwy 169 heading south. I looped around Atkin, Garrison and Milaca Lake. This was an interesting ride for me. I grew up spending summer weekends up in Garrison on Bay Lake. As I pulled into town I noticed the sign; Garrison - Population 99. Looking around at the developed condos, clinics and lodges, I couldn’t help but feel the population number was off. I have never seen a town of 99 have as many resources and development as I was seeing.

Garrison has changed a lot since I was a young girl. But, my guess is that it was already on its way to being a luxurious summer vacation spot when I came here with my family and I just hadn’t realized it. I noticed that people were driving faster. The vibe was gritty. It seemed that there was friction all around this town. This was a dramatic change from my time north of Duluth where things were easy and fluid.

In some ways I felt like I was looking at myself in Garrison. I was uncomfortable with the familiarity. I looked up in the air and saw a few eagles soaring above - a good sign in my world.

I drove through and found myself in farm communities on back roads towards St. Cloud. As soon as I got a mile off of Hwy 169, the tempo slowed again. I stopped to check my map and an older gentleman walked out to a mailbox, looked over to me said hello and asked if I was lost. Here, rather than speeding cars, I tailed little old ladies who drove their cars slowly through the center of town as a couple of guys in a garage worked on an piece of machinery. I breathed easier with this change. The sun was hot and I continued to zigzag my way down small highways until I came to St. Cloud.

I pulled into downtown St. Cloud...took my helmet off, looked in front of me and I saw an African family walking on the sidewalk in front of me. I was reminded that I hadn’t seen Black folks since I left Duluth. I began to look around St. Cloud… people had a lot more ethnic diversity than I was expecting. I meet up with Debra Leigh, a professor at St. Cloud State University for dinner. After dinner we sat on her back porch for the interview.

Debra came to St. Cloud to teach dance and now works for the University to eliminate institutional Racism. Debra talked about her journey to St. Cloud, teaching dance and discovering her need to teach unlearning racism trainings. As Debra talked I was struck by her trust in God. She reminded me that, to her, God is everywhere and will take care of you in places where you may not know anyone or be familiar with the rules of the environment, but still something larger is at work. After the interview, like many other kind folks on this tour, Debra graciously invited me to stay in her guest room.