Ifound myself staring at a blank screen for a while and wondering what the heck I could type up to inspire hope for folks. And I found myself wishing I could email Tony Bender and ask him just a couple more questions. Am I doing okay? What could I be doing better? What kept you going?

I didn’t have a lot of role models growing up beyond authors who had long passed away, and I guess that keeps being true. I learned a lot about the world by reading Terry Pratchett and Kurt Vonnegut books, so naturally I looked up to Tony. Tony was full of wit and satire and biting commentary, but with a North Dakota bend. And I thought, wow, this is a person I want to be when I grow up.

I’m taking a long sigh now. And to paint the scene further, please imagine I’m looking over at a calendar that’s open to

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