Midwest vs North vs ???

The Star Tribune has an article exploring the question: Should Minnesota be considered part of the Midwest? Perhaps I missed it (no way) but the article never did clarify what's meant by the Midwest. In fact, it notes "Defining the Midwest, it turns out, is not as geographically simple as it might seem. In fact, it’s not even entirely about geography." The quotation never does inform us what the Midwest is entirely about. The map of Census Bureau regions ignores the Standard Federal Regions, the Federal Reserve Bank districts, the Court of Appeals district, the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regions and a variety of other "Unofficial multi-state and multi-territory regions."

Then there's the whole question of whether arbitrary administrative regions [our definition], including state and county boundaries, should have any real relevance compared to watersheds, ecoregions and/or bioregions.

U.S. rivers from Grasshopper Geography

Some folks have been pitching the idea that Minnesota should brand itself as "North." Canada and Alaska might have better claim on that. Perhaps one of the fundamental questions we need to think about is Why? Or, what is it we want to measure or compare? Are we playing compare and contrast? If this a variant of "Where's Waldo?" or "The Oregon Trail?" Earlier today I was skimming some research findings to the effect that: "About four-in-ten Americans say they don’t feel attached to their community." The same package of findings indicated that, no matter where you live, you're likely to believe that someone else is getting more than their share of the good things in life. [We'll probably return to this some other day.]

We're going to declare, somewhat capriciously, but not arbitrarily, that multistate regions are probably of much less relevance than your neighborhood which may, or may not, align with township, city or county boundaries. Thats something else to think about. And, because we've again started to ponder how well it may or may not fit with all of these questions, concerns and opportunities, how about the rural-urban transect? I feel my status as a recovering planner is slipping!

rural to urban transect

A Blessing

By James Wright

Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,

Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.

And the eyes of those two Indian ponies

Darken with kindness.

They have come gladly out of the willows

To welcome my friend and me.

We step over the barbed wire into the pasture

Where they have been grazing all day, alone.

They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness   

That we have come.

They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.

There is no loneliness like theirs.   

At home once more,

They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.   

I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,

For she has walked over to me   

And nuzzled my left hand.   

She is black and white,

Her mane falls wild on her forehead,

And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear

That is delicate as the skin over a girl’s wrist.

Suddenly I realize

That if I stepped out of my body I would break

Into blossom.

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