Commentary.
We visited friends in a rural area of “fly-over country” over the Labor Day holiday. We hopped in their pick-up to go check on a couple of hay fields and drove through “their” small town. Shuttered storefronts, crumbling buildings, and once grand homes fallen into disrepair reminded me of so many other small, rural towns I have driven through in recent years.
Our friends pointed out landmarks and told stories about the old implement dealership that now houses someone’s junk and the grain elevator now owned by a local farm family. The school gymnasium has been condemned so ball practice was being held in an empty American Legion building. I say was being held, because like so many other activities, sports practices are on hold in reaction to COVID-19.
