A little Rust on the Fenders...

Today, crusty two and three year veterans of the Northwest Arctic Borough School District will get their first look at the newbies for the 2016-2017 school year. Teacher workshop will bring the fresh meat face to face with their seasoned and more experienced cohorts so all can tighten up the boot straps and charge in to another academic year high on the globe. I feel like I'm missing out on the Alaskan party.

Today, I just chowed down on some three day old leftover chicken during my lunch break at the Rush City Pool. The days have been warm even though our work days here are numbered. In about three weeks, I'll be checking back in at Jacobson Elementary for inservice myself, somewhere along the 45^th parallel in central Minnesota.

Those two worlds are somewhat alike yet drastically different. More than just miles separate them.

In Kivalina they're scurrying for a water pump and anyone skilled enough to replace it. The water tanks have run dry and although the Wulik River is prime to replenish it, without a functioning pump the island's fresh water needs won't be met.

In Pine County the Fair is just winding down as the last crews cleanup the fairgrounds. Fried food and cold beer have been consumed by the bucket loads. The Youth Hockey Association raised a considerable amount of money to help reduce the cost for young skaters and their families. Unfortunately, the volunteer list was uncharacteristically short and we may have not raised funds comparable to years past.

In Pine City our most recent problems are not having enough volunteers to staff concessions sales at the Derby. Small potatoes. In Kivalina they wonder if the water pump will be replaced before freeze up.

In Kivalina the village still rests precariously close to the edge of the ocean. Perched in between a dwindling coastline on the west and an impeding lagoon on the east, Kivalina folks are clinging to the hopes that relocation will come quicker than the politicians promise. Much needed repairs to housing and infrastructure are put off with the assumption that a new home is just over the horizon.

In Pine City we've had an seasonably wet July. The rains have been hot and heavy. For a short while, the Snake River spilled over its edges and compromised shore front properties from Mille Lacs to the St. Croix River. A few adventurous, recreational paddlers tested their might against Mother Nature and but by the grace of God and the brave actions of County Rescue Personnel, those paddlers are still with us today. My yard bears the scars of excess water. Small scale flooding in my yard has been an inconvenience at most.

In Pine City it's been wet. Who cares? In Kivalina, if the ocean rises anymore or the waves scallop any more of the shoreline, lives will be lost, a entire whaling community will be forced to abandon their culture. It's way more than an inconvenience.

The Northwest Arctic Borough School is still clamoring for teachers. Another year has come and teacher turnover will force them to start understaffed again. Increasing class sizes does nothing to help an already strapped learning environment. I feel like I should help. I miss Kenan, and Regina and Roshaun.

At home Emma and Logan have been on a whirlwind tour of all the local tourist attractions. The Wisconsin Dells, the North Shore of Lake Superior, and ValleyFair are amongst the checklist of their “What Did You Do This Summer?” essays. In two weeks our family will be sitting in the sands of Cancun, Mexico. A first trip to Mexico for the children and a much anticipated trip for us all. We've earned it and deserve it.

Yet it feels like this trip brings to a close the cyclone that has been the last year of our lives...

I know the problems of rural Alaska are behind me. Yet the island has left it's mark on my mind and in my heart. I am forever grateful for my time on that little spit of land called Kivalina but I am home where I belong.

Home with my wife and children. Facing the realities of mortgage payments, state taxes, school shopping and bedtimes. Home with dirty dishes and dog mess in the yard. Home with first world problems like a little rust on the fender and whether or not we should splurge on another luxury car.

My perceived problems cannot compare.

I love you Michele...being married to someone that frets over money is no walk in the park. Our small problems are a welcomed speed bump in a world that can be much less forgiving. I am thankful for you every day of my life. You complete me and have given me the greatest gift I have ever received... our children and your love to go along with it. Let's stop worrying about a little water in the basement and a few weeds in the yard. Let's continue to work hard but vow to play harder. I'm sorry for sulking and I'm sorry for worrying. But I'm working on it....stick with me.