Weekend in Ada

There are at least two ways to go through life: Hurry up so you see everything, or slow down so you don’t miss anything. The big cities get all the attention, which is fine. But if you want to slow the clock down spend some time in a small town. When I say small - I mean smaller than Shakopee, even smaller than Belle Plaine – something in the neighborhood of 1,500 living in the city limits.

This is not one of those travel column where I tell you where to go, what to see, what to eat, and how to dress (I have trouble with those areas myself on a daily basis), it’s more of a reflection of a perception. Recently I loaded up the family (and my daughter’s boyfriend) and drove four hours northwest to Ada.

Ada is a community that frequently gets attention either with its championship sports teams or it’s propensity for flooding. Ada, which is North of Fargo near the North Dakota border, graduated 39 seniors from its high school this year. It did this in partnership with neighboring Borup (population 100 or so). My sister’s daughter was one of them.

The graduation ceremony was, from my perspective, almost perfect. “Pomp and Circumstance,” the traditional tune for these ceremonies only had to be played once. The National Anthem was sung by three of the seniors, a local minister led the audience in prayer (without the ACLU whining in the corner), the speeches were of the proper length (short) and interesting – complete with the tearful good-byes. Plus, my niece lost her shoe under the stage during the processional. But, as she said during her speech – “I lost my shoe but I got my diploma.”

This town, although small, is not without its modern conveniences. At the Norman Motel – with its 15 units you have access to a Wi-Fi connection and cable TV. (Call ahead for reservations.) The Orpheum Theater shows first-run movies, there is KRJB (106.5 FM), the local radio station that pushes 100,000 watts across town and the surrounding area. The town boasts three banks, several professional offices, a bowling alley, hospital, restaurants, stores, parks, and churches. In short, Ada, like most small towns, has all of the charm without the fuss.

You can safely walk around town, as my kids did with their cousins. The local priest, who marked 25 years in the ministry, was honored with a beautiful stainless steel gas grill by the congregation. I am sure he had plenty of help wheeling the grill from in front of the church to the back of his pick-up truck.

Soon, one or two of these 39 kids may pack their own truck looking for something better. Hal Ketchum’s song “Small Town Saturday Night” hints at this. “Bobby told Lucy ‘The world ain’t round, drops off sharp at the edge of town. Lucy you know the world must be flat, ‘cause when people leave town they never come back.’”

Ada reminded me of those days forty years ago in Belle Plaine. You could leave the house in the morning, come back for lunch, go again, and then back for supper. No worries, no cares, and the summers lasted forever.

Bigger is not always better. I like New York City – but it would not be my first choice to raise a family. A New York minute is a phrase used to describe a frenzied hurried moment, but a small town weekend suggests a slower serene pace. I am convinced now more than ever that small town values are concepts not to be taken for granted.