The e-mail popped into my inbox the other night, and I recognized the name of the sender. He was a young man who had grown up in Duluth, the son of family friends, a high-school skiing teammate of our son and daughter.
But he wasn't writing just to check in. He's now one of the leading aides for a U.S. congressional candidate from Minnesota. He was writing to drum up support for his candidate.
I read through the e-mail. It was well done, professional, effective. Cool, I thought. He's carving his niche in the world. He had left Duluth after college at the University of Minnesota and headed to Washington, D.C. He always was a bright kid and principled, like his parents.
Once in the D.C. political maelstrom, it didn't take him long to land in a good place. Now he's back in the 8th District for a time, probably working 18 hours a day ramping up to the election.
It's inspiring and gratifying to see members of the next generation coming up, making their marks. I opened the newspaper the other day and recognized several names in an ad for Essentia Health, welcoming doctors to the company team. They, too, were sons and daughters of friends. They were kids we had watched from soccer-field sidelines or knew through school activity circles.
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One day, we might find ourselves sitting in their offices, relying on their training and expertise to solve a medical issue.
Still another member of that generation called just this week with a story idea for the newspaper. She's working at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, banding songbirds as they migrate through. I can remember her crawling around her mom's lap when she was less than a year old. Now, she's back in town, using her skills to make a contribution to our community.
This has been happening for generations, of course. Kids grow up, choose a life path and find their way in the world. This just happens to be the first upcoming generation with whom I have some firsthand connections.
What those of us at my point in life can see is that all the nurturing and shaping we did, all the cheering at the soccer games and running events, all the quiet words of support we offered, all those bus trips to West Yellowstone, Mont., or to Washington, D.C., mattered. We did it for our own kids. And we did it for their friends. It's the old "village" concept, and it's still valid.
What's especially satisfying to see is that many of these kids want to come back to Duluth now. That wasn't always the case, and there wasn't much to draw them back.
Now, good things are happening in our town. Businesses are discovering us. We're building bike trails and extending the Lakewalk and building new schools. There's an energy and optimism here that is percolating through town.
Duluth is a good place to be. Now a new generation is discovering that, too. I know several other young people who are trying to find their way back here, looking for the right opportunities.
As they find their way home, bringing their skills and their energy, we have a message for them: Welcome back. We've missed you.
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Sam Cook can be reached at scook@duluthnews.com . Follow him on Twitter: @samcookoutdoors.
