STEINBACH, MB

Local author Joseph Bergmann, 78, has come home with the top prize at the annual Navel Gazing Olympics this week. Bergmann faced stiff competition from a wide range of authors, historians, and coffee shop gossipers from across the Mennonite world.

“It’s a real challenge, since every Mennonite is already born with strong navel gazing talents,” said Bergmann, “and to win a competition like this, you’ve got to be good not just as one type of navel gazing, but all aspects of the sport.”

Bergmann scored top points in the angst and self-loathing competition and placed second in the marquee event: an epic 5-hour-long marathon where competitors ramble on about Mennonites to a group of people who have little to no interest in the topic.

“I did well in that one, too, but ultimately

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