July 4, 2019
As a teenager growing up in Luverne I noticed The Fourth of July divided people into two groups: those who had “a lake place” and those who did not.
I was among those who did not.
As a small child growing up on a farm southwest of Luverne, a Fourth of July highlight might be my going outside to pet one of five or ten kittens.
As an older child, the day might be spent waiting for the hay to get bailed wondering if we’d get to go to town to watch fireworks at the Fairgrounds.
As a teenager, the Fourth of July meant I could work as many shifts as I wanted at the Blue Mound Inn — since half the waitresses were “at the lake.”
This is why I take such delight in the newly invented Fourth of July at The Lake Celebration right in Luverne. Now everyone in Luverne has a lake place — but without the taxes, insurance and upkeep.
(The Fourth of July celebration has also expanded in my personal life to include a daughter born on July 2, a granddaughter born on July 5 and a “cancer-free” diagnosis also on July 5. It’s become a weeklong celebration.)
Last year, when my husband and I arrived on our bikes at The Lake, I thought, “Wow. This is Luverne?”
I observed a sunny, sandy beach packed with people. A cool blue lake was dotted with canoes, kayaks and swimmers. Music played from a speaker.
The smell of something delicious floated through the air. A group of super-serious people were playing Corn Hole. (How can anyone be serious while playing Corn Hole?)
We chatted with friends and neighbors, had a plate of something delicious and pedaled back home returning later for the amazing fireworks show.
Crawling into bed that night I thought, “Wow! I never left Luverne but I spent the day at The Lake.”
Looks like I’ve finally got a lake place for the Fourth of July — and so do you.
(See the related front page story about July 4 festivities at The Lake)