Steve Fernlund and The Long Way Home

I wrote a column two weeks ago that hasn’t seen print and maybe won’t. It’s about how weak leaders lose respect whenever they are the first to scream and shout. The White House meeting, which ought to have been private, inspired it. In the meeting, the trio of Trump, Vance, and Rubio dominated the President of a European ally for all to see. My writing may have been extreme, so I kept it private, for now. On March 4, Politico’s Meredith Lee Hill reported that Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), the chair of the House GOP's campaign committee, told Republican lawmakers during a closed-door meeting to stop holding in-person town halls amid a wave of angry backlash from people over cuts made by the new administration. Town hall meetings are vital for politicians to stay connected with their communities and effectively represent all their constituents' interests. They encourage citizens to participate in the democratic process. They are, or should be, nonpartisan.  Take Minnesota House Dis...

The Swedish Death Cleaning continues at Casa Fernlund but at a slower pace than a few weeks ago. The other day, The Bohunk opened one of the handful of boxes remaining, and it was evident no one had seen the inside since Disco was raising its ugly head in the 1980s. Inside was a perfectly folded edition of the Minneapolis Tribune dated July 12, 1980. It looked like, except for fading, when I picked it up off the front step of our house in Bloomington that eventful day.  In those days, the Tribune was a couple of inches wider than the paper you hold today. That meant an additional column on each page—six sections with 56 pages. Reading the paper was not a small undertaking. Still, it was the favored activity to enjoy with coffee and a smoke.  July 12 is my birthday, and that day in 1980 started early. The Bohunk and I were proud parents of three blondies, all less than 10 years old. The Bohunk was at the end of her fourth pregnancy, and we didn’t know if there’d be another girl...

Among the many life privileges I enjoy is having this newspaper publish TLWH. Newspaper Poobahs call this a “general interest column” where I express my opinions and commentary.  I'm a social introvert. Although I enjoy spending time with others, I have a lower tolerance for social stimulation than many. I genuinely like most people I know, even though I don’t understand how some see the day's events. According to an online survey, I'm a Libertarian/Democrat. At its core, the libertarian philosophy is high on logic and low on compassion. I prefer logic and compassion at the same level, tilted slightly in favor of compassion. Most people would find themselves closer to me than their favorite cable TV superstar or the politicians in their favored party. But too many people believe some crazy stuff, like, “Government should be run like a business!” or “Why did fire hydrants run dry in Los Angeles during the wildfires last month?” Before addressing those two ideas and a couple ...

My friend, mentor, and longtime business partner Dan Conway was a near-scratch golfer. I was not. When we discussed the recent play of various pro golfers, he always said, “They play a different game than we do.” This means not just hacks like me but low-handicap golfers, too. Golf and business have a minority of idolized, out-of-touch pros who play the game at a different level. That’s not so bad for the golf industry, but the threats to small business from the higher levels cannot be ignored. When people have an idea to “build a better mousetrap,” a better product or service, they create a system and build a business around it. Like the average golfer, they may have little training and no coaching, and occasionally, they hit a hole-in-one. But they play a different game than the corporate elites and private equity types, who just make money off money.  Small business owners are the heart and soul of our communities. They create businesses and devote most of their waking hours to ...