Ode to MPR

"There is no such thing as a worthless conversation, provided you know what to listen for. And questions are the breath of life for a conversation." -James Nathan Miller

Hi hi, it's Megan.  I hope you had a pleasant and relaxing Thanksgiving.

When I go home, I usually drive my mom's Buick wherever I need to go.  My dad sometimes drives the car and so the radio perpetually finds itself tuned to MPR.  Over summer, I would usually tune it back to some variety fm station, but I decided to just sit and listen this time.  The older I get, the more I appreciate MPR, and this past weekend was no exception.  The programming seems to coincide perfectly in some way or other with what's going on with me either internally or externally.  I drove home late at night after getting together with friends at a coffee shop to a beautifully told story.  On my way shopping with my mom, we listened to a conversation about the value of allowing kids to do wild and crazy things, despite our desire to keep them safe from disappointment.  It definitely provided a much needed external perspective for my mother and I.

On Friday, I spent most of the day with my dad.  We realized we hadn't talked at all since the election and so we had a great conversation about global politics, the Israeli/Palistinian conflict, and about successful economic policies in countries other than the United States.  This included a rather excited conversation about Social Security. :P  I missed my dad quite a bit and was rather sad I missed my family's Thanksgiving celebration and the annual all day board game playing session that goes along with it. My dad and I tend to be partners no matter what game we decide on. Since we've lost many family members on that side, holidays are always intensely bittersweet and I lament missing any of them.  

It might sound crazy, but board games always remind me of my family members. I always feel closer to them during a lively round of TriBond or even CatchPhrase.  In the same way, I also feel closer to my dad when listening to the familiar voices on MPR.

Peace, love, and warm thoughts as the weather grows colder.

-Megan