Sunday, July 26, 2020

Langdon, Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Today's story is a salute to my ancestors and their ties to a small town about 300 miles from where I am on a special assignment.  I was hoping to visit but the work schedule is packed full and I'm running out of time.

We beached our rental pontoon boat yesterday during our four hour adventure so we could jump in the ice cold water for a swim.  I looked out and spotted a white-haired gentleman that looked like a doppelganger of my grandfather who raised ten kids in Bismarck. He even had the same expression of contentment on his face that reminded me of the day grandad pulled over to smell the fresh cut grass in Phoenix, Arizona where he relocated to be in a climate better suited for his breathing.  I wonder if grandad was reminiscing about his Langdon days where the grass is green and mowing is an activity that must be done weekly to keep the neighborhoods pristine.

I didn't get to meet the man who looked like my grandfather but two men on the boat next to him came over to assist us when we were having trouble getting the engine to turn over.  They had family who live in Langdon and told me they believed our Mulligan name is probably still remembered even though they left nearly eighty years ago.  Langdon, like many small towns across our country, is a place where everybody knows your name.  I'm happy to live in a community where the neighbors look out for one another, just like Langdon.  Have a great day.

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