Beyond the Margin

By Joe Spear

Together.

It’s become a dangerous word in COVID-19 world and a welcome word as the coronavirus subsides.

The word has long been useful describing the act of gathering and having first been spoken before the 12th Century, according to the online Merriam Webster dictionary. That came at the time of Third Crusade led by some of Europe’s most powerful leaders including from the Holy Roman Empire’s Frederick I Barbarossa, Richard I (Lion-Heart) of England and Philip II Augustus of France.

The crusades apparently needed a word that meant doing something in unison like pillaging foreign lands and religions.

Merriam described the history and entomology of together thusly: “Middle English togedere, from Old English togædere, from t to + gædere together; akin to Middle High German gater together, Old English gaderian to gather.”

And, true to its mission, Merriam Webster provided a sentence using the word together: “Added to this was the public spectacle at the Kumbh Mela, the Hindu gathering which saw crowds of up to 3 million come together on the banks of river Ganga in Haridwar.”

The once-in-12 years Hindu gathering in India brought together too many. At this writing, India was the leading spreader of COVID, and it’s top doctors blamed its leader Narendra Modi, for his excessive campaign rallies that seemed all too familiar.

Bad togethern.

But we’ve avoided such gathering for the most part in Minnesota. Lutherans stick to potlucks and lefse parties with social distancing.

In fact, as the calendar turned from April to May, Gov. Tim Walz loosened restrictions on gathering at events, weddings, restaurants and bars.

He said “Minnesota’s Great Get Together,” the state fair, was likely to be near back to normal.

The wonderful normal of deep fat fryers cooking buckets of French fries, jumbo corndogs and Proto Pups and mini donuts create the delightful smell and feel of the smoky haze of the state fair.

Pronto Pups were invented George and Versa Boyington who sold hotdogs on Oregon beaches but whose business was hurt by buns continually being doused by rain. They invented the flour mix to make a more permanent, rain resistant “bun.”

A Pronto Pup differs from a corn dog in that Pups have flour breading while corn dogs use corn meal in case anyone asks you at the state fair this year.

Crowds of friends gather in beer gardens around guitar players with bootlegger smiles. And then there are the names like Giggle’s grill and the dairy bar. And if you’re in the mood for something matriarchal, you can get spicy Italian sausages from Cynthia and chocolate chip cookies from Martha.

Good together.

The COVID 13 months had us thinking a lot about the importance of together. Who would have guessed such isolation brought out the better in people.

While the American Psychological Association reported a three-fold spike in the number of people with depression, from 10 percent of the population to 30 percent, there was actually a decline in the number of suicides nationwide.

Experts attribute it to a general environment where because of COVID people were checking in on each more and offered more support. Others note that telehealth made it easier to get mental health help. It wasn’t as anxiety creating as walking into a therapist’s office.

Thanks Michael Phelps.

nnnn

By early May, the Bethany Hawkwatch volunteers had recorded 3,700 broad tailed hawks in the Mankato area.

From March to May, the number was triple the highest number recorded at about 1,200 in 2014 when the spring watch began. “It’s the first time we have seen those kinds of numbers,” said Chad Heins, a Bethany professor who has helped organize the hawk watches. For some reason, weather perhaps, the hawks seem to be in a more westward migration pattern to their summer homes in northwestern U.S.

And other species have also upped their numbers. Bethany Hawkwatch reports a record for sightings of Ospreys at 27, about triple typical numbers.

Heins notes a rare siting of Mississippi Kites last year near Sibley Park. Minnesota is hundreds of miles from where one normally finds kites.

And once birders from around the state and region found out about the kites siting, they have been inquiring about a return this year. That curiousity of what birds might do to return to familiar places gives us fascination.

Man follows nature as it gives important signals. Birds of a feather.

Together.

Joe Spear is editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382. Follow on Twitter @jfspear.