A timeless song on simple piece of paper

I remember reading a George Jones bio that had an illustration at the front. The illustration showed a "lead sheet" of a significant song in the music icon's career. This is country music of course. The illustration sticks in my mind because it showed the power of a simple melody with some words. 

I guess "lead sheet" is songwriter lingo. The illustration in the book was of the song "Ragged But Right." It's a classic song that paints a picture of basic American life. "Electric fan to keep me cool while I sleep." Such common imagery that could be pulled from anyone's average day. 

And it's moving, how? Because the music makes it come alive. A song can do that so overwhelmingly even though the "lead sheet" requires just one simple piece of paper! I can hardly relate the power of this compared to a book or chapter of a book, not even a classic book. 

The song probably takes only three minutes to perform. That was the standard length for a long time when AM Radio set the standards. Middle-age and older people grew up consuming such fare or at least listening to it from the background. Older people became familiar with so much music from the background. A Paul McCartney melody like "Silly Love Songs" would get stuck in your head. And isn't it amazing with the timelessness of songs like that?

Years later you can hear it again and it fully registers. You can anticipate upcoming passages of the melody. Not hard to believe, when the song is just three minutes long. Not hard to believe, when you realize the song can be appreciated on a "lead sheet" of just one page. 

So the main point I'm trying to get across as I recall the old George Jones book, is about the power of a simple song. I mean especially the power of a simple song compared to other written works like full-blown books. 

So much work to research and then write a book. Congrats to book authors who get commercially published. It is truly hard work. What are the odds of really getting your book in front of the public? This isn't to say that musical composers don't struggle too. Heaven knows they do. What strikes me as fascinating is that when a musician succeeds, it happens with a work that can be represented with such brevity, such compactness. 

Of course the great ones can make it look easy. The saying applies to any field. So you scan "Ragged But Right" and note the very simple, day-to-day kind of wording, and you wonder how this could reflect genius. Well, it absolutely does. 

Yes I have tried to do this myself. I couldn't help but think about this as I was growing up. You see, my father was a master, a professional. My own efforts to do it are just a testament to him. His accomplishments made me want to try, to capture just some of the "gold dust off the saddlebags." 

Ralph E. Williams

I haven't stopped. But in the meantime, my father's works get performed pretty regularly. And this past spring, his work came to Morris Area High School! The wind ensemble directed by Wanda Dagen performed my father's "Testament of Nations." Speech standout Zach Dietz did a fantastic job with some narration prior to the music. 

The whole concert was outstanding but surely that's no surprise. I attended both this concert and the grades 5-8 concert that preceded it on the spring calendar. 

Word is, Wanda wants to keep directing for as long as she's physically capable. 

Some public school teachers are known to be aware of how long they have 'til retirement. I have been told that sometimes they'll know the exact number of days, which they adjust in their mind every day! There may be some exaggeration at work here. But you can get the point. 

Wanda is immersed in her work and totally invested in the young people. She drives them too - totally in a good way. Call it "tough love?" Like, when a student screws up and fails to show up for a lesson? You wouldn't want to do that! 

All the discipline shows its fruit like in the concerts of the past few weeks. And then, a performance I missed which was for graduation. I didn't have to be there to know it was great or "boffo." Wanda just keeps crafting the best, most inspiring results. Her associate Andrea DeNardo is likewise committed. 

Wanda Dagen

Maybe Wanda will be directing music at the Appleton park again this summer. Nice, although I wish we could see this flourish at our Killoran stage in Morris instead. 

Following the May 12 spring concert, I decided to do one of my periodic checks to see if anything new by my father might be on YouTube. Well yes, there is something! It's a very fine presentation from Polk Street Methodist Church way down in Amarillo TX. Looks like a big church. 

This composition by Ralph E. Williams has a very serious and reverent tone. It's called "Hear My Prayer." I invite you to listen and watch with this YouTube link. Thanks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx_ByL2SKSk 

 

Polk Street Methodist Church, Amarillo TX

 

Addendum: Sometimes the song "Ragged But Right" is presented as "I'm Ragged But I'm Right."

 

Addendum #2: I should have attended MAHS graduation but maybe it would have been bittersweet. Bitter because a voice in the back of my head would have been saying "Brian, you should be here with your spiral notebook, pen and camera, set to cover the event for the Morris newspaper." This I did for years and years. Plus at Hancock. Plus at UMM. It's the only sense of identity that has meant anything to me. My last year in such a role was 2006. In my mind, doesn't seem that long ago.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

We mark another Memorial Day

My father Ralph E. Williams is at right wearing the distinct hat. I'll bet these guys had camaraderie! Would be terrific to know all their names and hometowns! Dad was a U.S. Navy lieutenant. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 96.

 

Is there anything more subdued than the atmosphere on Memorial Day weekend? Lots of the usual local faces are not to be seen. So many people get away, like to "the lake." Is having a lake place really such a desirable thing anymore? Isn't it enough to maintain one residence? 

My old friend the late Donnie Eich said he just wasn't a lake person. I agreed. In Morris we have Crissy Lake (the Pomme de Terre reservior) but it's not suitable for water recreation. Quite a drawback, even though lots of folks like to camp out there. 

We're getting into that time of year now. First we mark Memorial Day. It's Sunday as I write this so we're looking at tomorrow. Shortly I'll be placing some silk flowers out at the family plot at Summit Cemetery. It's a black bench in the new portion. Feel free to have a seat there anytime. Would warm my heart to know people were doing this. 

We are separated in time ever more from the American triumph in World War II. Such sacrifice was called for, abroad and here at home. America did its part to help stop tyranny. We may not appreciate enough the role of Russia. Oliver Stone has been trying to emphasize this in recent years. Of course Russia became our adversary after WWII. 

You can say "Russia" or "Soviet Union." 

You can research WWII and be stunned at the intensity of the conflict in the eastern front. The D-Day invasion was drawn up partly to relieve pressure on the Russian forces. The new front would open up on the western side, thus diffusing German efforts. There's lots of credit to go around. Still it was profoundly sad that our sinful human nature dragged humanity down to where the violence and death were a price needing to be paid. 

As the years pass now, we have emotional distance. The WWII dead are less likely to be people that we knew. We praise their bravery of course. However, don't you think the young men were just as scared as we would be? It's nice to talk about "the greatest generation." But don't you think they really had no choice? And I'm sure the efforts to avoid the draft and avoid combat were more than we'd likely suspect. 

We laud those who "did their duty." And that's what we hear about every year on Memorial Day. 

Are holidays like Memorial Day and Veterans Day going to have staying power? Or are they fading some?

Not that any of us could "forget" what our young men did in the 1940s to resist tyranny. Some say we risk falling into tyranny right now in America with the rise of a certain political faction. I won't specify 'cause it would offend the usual crowd. Can't or shouldn't discuss politics with them. And that's part of the problem. 

We had a U.S. Senate candidate in Minnesota, Royce White, who has said "the bad guys won World War II." Well, not good form. Maybe the day will come when people like him start winning elections. What can I do?  "Mongo just pawn in game of life." 

But I'll visit the family plot at Summit Cemetery and maybe enjoy the company of other Summit Cemetery visitors on this most active weekend of the year at the cemetery. Nice to go out of one's way and view the Sam Smith statue. That's a reminder of the U.S. Civil War, way back in time of course. Morris was not even founded as a community until 1871. I was a participant in the 1971 Centennial. I was a musician. 

 

Serving Uncle Sam at sea

This morning I fetched an old yellowed press clipping that had Dad's name in the headline. The headline reads "Ralph Williams heads Naval gun crew." The dateline has "New Orleans." 

Then we get into the article: "Ensign Ralph E. Williams, USNR, son of Mrs. Carrie Williams of Glenwood, has reported for duty at the New Orleans Armed Guard Center, according to word received from Eighth Naval District Headquarters, today. He awaits assignment as commanding officer of the naval gun crew on a merchant ship and will be charged with the defense of the vessel in case of attack." 

So there Dad was on the brink. He left his music teaching job at Brainerd High School where he'd spent one academic year, 1941-42. Mom happened to be a native of Brainerd. "Happened" does not mean to suggest coincidence! 

 

At left is drawing of Dad during his wartime service. A trace of a mustache!

Dad visited the mainland of Japan soon after the end of hostilities. He always mentioned how humbled the Japanese people behaved. Tokyo was ravaged by fire-bombing. The atomic bomb took care of Japan resistance. It took two? Well the "Japs" were awfully resolved until they were bombed to oblivion. 

Today we seek harmony with our Asian friends. That's why I'm troubled some by the Memorial Day and Veterans Day events. Yes, America did what it had to do, back in that distant time. But it gets more distant all the time. I get concerned that the tenor of speeches for these holidays can encourage jingoism. Maybe encourage more forward-thinking themes. World War II will always be well-preserved in historical annals. But it was truly hell on Earth, all of it. Only done by necessity. 

When the Japanese pilots from Pearl Harbor finally got a chance to join anniversary events, a spokesman stated "we were just young men doing what our government asked us to do." A truism of wartime, right? The propaganda of war too. 

There's a nice American flag next to the Williams monument this Memorial Day weekend. Maybe the simple flag is the best way to commemorate. That and silent reflection. 

Dad was a survivor. Think of the rolls of servicemen who did not come home. Europe, the Pacific, such a vast tragedy. Dad was out there on the water. He was one of the lucky survivors. And he surely did his duty. RIP Ralph Williams. He was founder of the UMN-Morris music department.

Thanks to Del Sarlette for taking a moment to pose at the Williams family monument. The bench is for everyone.

Dad spent a year teaching at Brainerd High School before entering the service for WWII. He's pictured here with Brainerd students in the first hour music appreciation class.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Walk-off run seals doubleheader sweep

A 20-0 won-lost record! How about that? The MACA Tigers of baseball are flying as high as you can get now. Graduation for '25 is done but the high school activities remain intense as we mark Memorial Day weekend. 

Looks like a good weekend for weather as I sit here on Saturday morning. I watched a portion of the graduation on YouTube. My generation could not have conceived of such a tool back in the day. 

One of the class speakers for my graduation, 1973, was Edith Martin, eldest child of Willie and Rachel Martin. Yes that's Willie of Willie's Super Valu. And Willie had an important role for Memorial Day. Some of us were amused at how he'd say "hollowed" instead of "hallowed" in his annual recitation at the outdoor monument. 

The passage goes: "Wherever a comrade may fall, there the ground is hallowed." 

The indoor program in those days was held at the old school auditorium. I fondly remember Eleanor Killoran playing piano. She's the namesake for the outdoor stage at East Side Park. She was my accompanist for contest solos in the high school band. Willie and Eleanor should stay in our hearts as we remember them. 

In 2012 I wrote a blog post on "Morris of Course" reflecting on how Edith spiced up the 1973 graduation with her words. Here's the link:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2012/04/graduation-reflects-tenor-of-times.html 

 

Baseball: nothing but wins. Nothing but zeroes in the loss column for our MACA baseball Tigers of '25: 20-0 overall, 6-0 section, 14-0 conference, 12-0 on the road, 2-0 neutral, 6-0 home. A historic season to be sure. Congrats to those Tigers who got their diplomas last night. Now it's back to the business of baseball. 

The "Minnesota Scores" site as I sit here does not yet have schedule info for post-season play. I am thankful for this website because it's such a nice home base for getting essential facts about teams. A fan can quickly check and see that we swept Minnewaska Area in May 22 action at 'Waska. Scores were 13-4 and 6-5. 

I can report that MACA softball plays today (Saturday) in post-season. It's another of those long (annoying) trips all the way to Marshall. When the Tigers climb in tournament play, so often this trip is required, and it must cut down on the number of fans that watch in person. Well I think that's sad. 

When I was with the newspaper, so much high-level basketball action was here in Morris at the P.E. Center. I remember many huge turnouts to support both Morris and other teams. 

Our softball Tigers had one Section 3AA game here and that was Thursday. The Tigers defeated Minnewaska 5-2. So 'Waska was competitive. So often the Tigers win in a dominating way. Now the softball Tigers will play Pipestone. So the Tigers and Pipestone will meet today (Saturday) at - sigh - Marshall. What's so special about Marshall really? 

Game-time is coming right up at 11:30.

 

Baseball: Tigers 13, Minnewaska 4

This was one of those suspense-free games for MACA and their fans, score of 13-4. This was Game 1 of the twin bill. Game 2 would have a narrower complexion. But it was victory in both. 

Riley Asmus showed command with the bat, going a perfect four-for-four. One of his hits was a double. He scored two runs and drove in four. He reached once on a walk and stole three bases. 

The orange and black got rolling with a four-run second inning. We polished things off with a three-run seventh. We played errorless ball in the field. We outhit the Lakers 11-7. 'Waska was hampered with fielding lapses. 

Riley had lots of company among the offensive standouts. So let's consider Andrew Marty who had a two-for-four line. Andrew was at home on the basepaths as he scored four runs. He walked and stole two bases. Jackson Hallman had two hits, stole a base, scored a run and drove in two. 

Jack Kehoe had a hit and drew a walk. He stole a base and drove in two runs. 

Drew Huebner had a hit in his only at-bat and got on via HBP. Ozzy Jerome reached on HBP too, plus he scored two runs and drove in one. Alex Asmus had a hit, drew a walk and stole two bases. Jonah Huebner walked and scored a run. Hunter Smith walked, stole a base and scored two runs. 

For Minnewaska, Marc Gruber and Riley Dell each had two hits. 

Our pitching story had Drew Huebner and Alex Asmus sharing the work with Alex getting the win. Alex set down six batters on strikes in five innings. Huebner had a "K" total of five in his two innings. The losing pitcher was Connor Erickson.

 

Game 2: Tigers 6, 'Waska 5

Quite a different story, this game. The difference came in the seventh with a "walk-off" run scored by Andrew Marty. Andrew got his opportunity to score on a grounder off the bat of Alex Asmus. The one-run margin of victory preserved our unblemished record. Now, what will the post-season bring? 

The Tigers had a line score of six runs, seven hits and two errors. The 'Waska numbers were 5-8-3. 

Jackson Hallman picked up the pitching win in relief, one inning. Riley Asmus pitched the other six innings. Gruber took the pitching loss for 'Waska. 

Baseball at 'Waska is played at Marthaler Field. 

The MACA offense was highlighted by a home run by Ozzy Jerome. Quite a game for Ozzy as he also doubled and had a two-for-two line. He walked twice, drove in two runs and scored one. 

Andrew Marty had two hits including a double and scored three runs. Riley Asmus' bat resonated with a double as part of two-for-three. He walked, scored two runs and drove in two. Alex Asmus drove in a run. Jonah Huebner had a hit and stole a base.

 

Another graduation done

Almost kind of haunting for me to remember the ceremony of 2006 which was my last one covering for the Morris newspaper. Always had a sense of exhilaration there. Did it for years and years. I remember the triumphant way principal Wally Behm congratulated each year's grads on being "alumni" with their diplomas. Such a wide smile on his face too. 

I feel a little haunted because the 2006 event seems like just yesterday in my mind. It's as if time got frozen after that. The people running the paper were starting to get restless, feeling they had to pull all sorts of strings. I thought it was a fuss over nothing, maybe just an empty gesture to try to show that the paper wasn't standing pat. 

But what good did it all do? 

A "treatise" written by the editor to micro-manage the hell out of sports coverage? On behalf of his masters at Forum Communications which a few years later simply packed up and left town? 

It was kind of crazy because the newspaper general manager had three people including me at the graduation. I could have done it myself with 100 percent reliability. I always sought to cover the event with a flair. 

An old handicap was catching up to me: my sense of conflict with the teachers union. You see, I could vividly see our school district had problems through the 1980s. I picked up liabilities. Finally in 2005 my detractors had the opportunity to pounce on me in the aftermath of the goalpost incident at UMM. A few months later and I was gone. 

In spite of the baggage I had picked up, I had a career of 27 years both at the Morris and Hancock newspapers. I drove the paper's van through a large portion of that too. I think that gave me some job security, because there certainly were people in town who were not fans of mine. 

Morris is a better town now run by more idealistic, less cynical people. People must have gotten lessons in "conflict resolution," seriously. I was astounded recently to see that even though 125 members of the public turned out at a board meeting in reaction to school staff cuts, I didn't notice any letters to the editor in the next newspaper. There would have been a bunch in an earlier time. 

Would I have liked to continue with the paper longer? Yes I would have. Let the record show that. I can't help but imagine myself showing up at graduation like so many times previously, notebook under my arm. But what's done is done.

 

"The past is never dead, it's not even past." - William Faulkner

 

Jim Morrison could get sort of astounded by the teachers himself, as he commented that "it's always us against them" from their viewpoint.

I'm talking the teachers as a group or a certain segment within (ahem).

But still today, public school teachers will harangue us every day of the year about how they aren't paid enough, don't get good enough treatment. And they have power. They have the power to give grades to our children. They'll come to school board meetings and make a big display about how they're getting screwed. Hey, life isn't a bed a roses for a lot of other people out and around.

 

You'll see an image below of Addison Blume of the 2025 Herman-Norcross graduating class. Congratulations to Addison and her fellow grads. Addison helped me get educated on the difference between "Border West" and "Wheaton." It gets complicated. I got to know Addison because she's a weekend server at DeToy's Restaurant in Morris. I got her a graduation card. Next year I figure I'll be giving three of these out to DeToy's servers. I eat out often because I live alone and it is not practical for me to do a lot of food preparation at home. I really do none. As a diabetic I try to follow "periodic fasting" too. But I love a good breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. DeToy's has a cheerful staff. I heard this morning there was a big turnout for Addison's graduation reception. I would have assumed that! The family lives in the country. This time of year is the best for visiting Niemackl Park over by Herman. But watch for woodticks! A cacophony of bird sounds there! Despite the cacophony I have found it hard to zero in with my binoculars on a specific bird! Niemackl Park is like a departure from the typical Stevens County terrain. It's like North Central Minnesota. 

Addison Blume of Wheaton High School and Border West Co-op. Image from Hudl.

  

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Fischbach would be last one rocking boat

We pay taxes to get services, right? We need these services to the extent that we can feel comfortable electing incumbents. My instinct is to simply not trust Republicans a whole lot. Heck, not to trust them at all, really. They will just mess things up, after which we'll assume it's up to the other party to clean things up. And Republicans never say "thank you." 

The Republicans are feeling their oats mightily now. They have such strong numbers across the board. 

Our district in Congress once shared my mistrust of Republicans, generally speaking. Then the winds turned in the other direction. Republicans once had issues with the "farm bill," then they got annoyed by losing so often due to this stance. So, "let's just go along with it." 

They hang their hat on cultural issues a lot these days. If America is now courting disaster because of Republican policies, is it all because of "trans?" All because of a volleyball player with San Jose State? I'm as bothered by "trans" as anyone. But I've learned over my long lifespan that Republicans aren't to be trusted taking care of the common folks. 

Ronald Reagan was OK. We needed him at the time. Democrats can be guilty of excesses too. Reagan was against Medicare when it was first proposed. Reagan had a genial and caring air about him. He was inspiring. Look what we have now. I hope you're satisfied with a congressperson who wouldn't criticize the president for anything. 

Republicans have been encouraged by their top leaders not to do the standard "town hall" where a group of people is seated in a  room with the elected person. People will vent with grievances about Republican leadership. The Speaker of the House writes this off as a case of "paid protesters." Why can't he and others just try to rebut the points being made? Calmly? I mean, they see merit in all that they're doing, don't they? 

Our congressperson in her most recent email release talks about her "telephone town hall." I'm not sure how this works. "It was great to give you an update about what's going on in Congress," Michelle Fischbach writes. "And I enjoyed taking your questions!" 

Michelle Fischbach

Fischbach gave examples of topics that came up. She did not share the prevailing waves of sentiment that were aired. Really, is everyone out here in the rural Upper Midwest loyal to Trump and MAGA? True believers? She did not share if this was really the sentiment that came forth. 

We have learned about various congressional town halls across America, even in Iowa. Iowa, where the sentiment against the administration has been skeptical, vocal. Iowa even! Is Charles Grassley even up for understanding the issues being created now with DJT's actions? Is he just so eager to stay on the gravy train that he senses? He's awfully up in years. 

And Republicans have gotten so excited about Biden. Biden is the most irrelevant subject I can imagine right now. I supported Kamala Harris back in 2016 when she sought the Democratic nod. Even had a small bumper sticker put on the back of my 2004 Malibu. Yes a 2004 - still works great. We were a two-car family for a long time. 

Eventually I sensed such a strong antagonism against the Dems out here, I covered up the sticker with duct tape. Didn't want to risk having the car be vandalized. I had to have a wheel bearing replaced after a tumbleweed or some such thing got wedged underneath, and I had to wonder if it was deliberately placed there. I honestly think no, it wasn't. But what's telling is that the thought crossed my mind. 

Fischbach mentioned the 6000-plus people she claimed joined her telephone town hall. Not sure how much meaningful interaction would happen in this situation. Were all these people falling over each other to praise Trump and Fischbach and others like them? We had a fair number of Steve Boyd supporters out here. He challenged Fischbach from the right. I remember reading about Boyd and finding that he thought the incumbent just "did what it took to keep getting reelected." 

Well, getting Trump's endorsement sure didn't hurt Fischbach. The endorsement by itself puts up a red flag for me about Fischbach. Trump is a grifter. Oh, you didn't know that? We all have been discussing this for a long time. Certain things should have been self-evident all along. Why should I try to cite any of these things again? 

I pray for broader enlightenment, but I fear that only a total economic collapse under the Orange Man will shake people out of their ignorant complacency. They'll stop caring so much about the San Jose State volleyball player. And BTW I personally feel that biological males should absolutely not be allowed to play in women's sports. Democrats hurting their own cause by arguing otherwise. 

Women's sports has come so far. Let's keep it going. BTW the Indiana Fever lost yesterday. 

Fischbach talks about law enforcement. Well we all support law enforcement, like the action taken by capitol police to protect people like Fischbach on Jan. 6. But now there's a big payout to the family of Ashli Babbitt.

And the convicted wrongdoers of Jan. 6 got pardoned. Has Fischbach made a statement on these things? I mean, she says she prioritizes law enforcement. She says "the Left" (capitalized "Left") seeks to "villainize law enforcement." 

 

Big and beautiful?

And now we see Fischbach is quite all-in on the so-called "big beautiful bill." What a name. Might be considered cheap theatrics. Is the bill good or not? It's crafted by Trump's party so guess what? Fischbach meanwhile says the bill will "help our farmers, families and small businesses." 

Oh those mean old Democrats, I mean to have any issues with such a "beautiful" thing. 

"I am proud of the final product," Fischbach wrote in the email release of May 19. "We made Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent." 

Well glory hallelujah. 

Expansion of the Child Tax Credit is in there too. Fischbach says this will "support 74,000 families in western Minnesota." What a benevolent force those Republicans are! 

But in order to afford an extension of the 2017 tax plan, the bill proposes $880 billion in Medicaid cuts. The tax plan is weighted to benefit multimillionaires and corporations. The Republican bill would kick 8.6 million Americans off of Medicaid over the next ten years. That might be a conservative estimate because Republicans advance stipulations that would limit eligibility. 

They talk about "work requirements." Easier said than done for a lot of people. Obviously we're living in a time when the relentless advancement of tech is eliminating whole swaths of jobs. I remember the great libertarian John Stossel in a book of about 15 years ago - yes, that long ago - that observed how the new efficiencies were wiping out the "middleman." 

I remember back when farmers really derided the "middlemen" but it was a productive occupation for many. 

We fear the inroads of "AI." The ultra wealthy will likely clean up with such tech. Meanwhile a whole lot of anonymous Americans will face "work requirements." Our Keith Davison once said to me there was a time when you might find work as "laborer." But today, he added, "you have to have skills." 

Don't you think a lot of people got left behind who just couldn't transition to the dramatically new ways? 

What will happen now to all the Americans who will lose their health coverage? Don't wait for the Republicans to develop empathy toward those folks. Ha! 

Democrats will have to surge forward and clean up the mess, because that's how it always goes. 

In the meantime, make sure it's only biological women playing on girls and women's sports teams. Hey, the Minnesota Lynx are looking pretty good again! I hope we can beat the "Fever."

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

We weren't proud watching a lot of TV

"Bonanza" was big

Kids my age were made to feel guilty if we spent a lot of time watching TV. Up through college I'd hear a term that sounds very dated now: "Boob tube." I remember a college prof who talked about "boob tube and beer" being the lifestyle of so many American men. In daytime they worked at some miserable job. As the day wound down, it was "boob tube and beer." 

These were times when social drinking was quite accepted. Eventually the crackdown on DWI changed our habits. The change was much to the better. As with, stomping down the once widespread habit of smoking and doing so in public. 

The television of my childhood should be a museum exhibit. I'm sure my parents thought TV was a miracle when it first appeared. And the children of my youth, the "boomer" kids? Well, TV was a staple even though we were coached on how we were not to be proud of consuming it. You might say it became a guilty pleasure. 

The people in "academics" of course thought TV was extremely lowbrow and something to be scoffed at or laughed at. No, at the end of the school day we were supposed to open our school books and continue the awful tedium of most of that stuff. It seemed the "pain equals gain" ethos was thrust on us. 

So I look back now. And I wonder what the heck was so bad about seeking some entertainment after a day in school. 

I find it amazing that I went to school before there were backpacks. In fact I remember none at all. Amazing, when you consider the obvious utility of backpacks. I would have used the term "knapsack." So we tucked books under our arms. 

How many hours were we in school on a basic day? Between seven and eight? Isn't that enough to devote to the burden of school? "Books" were the foundation for our learning in the days before electronic communications even existed. We dreaded new "assignments." We'd look at the number of pages or chapters we'd be required to cover - always far more than would be necessary to simply learn something. 

Today? Well, we make no apology for wanting to do anything with maximum efficiency. It's the most clear common sense you can imagine. Analog days for some reason hovered out in a painful and tedious realm. Processes seemed set up to confuse and frustrate us. 

A defining feature of the digital world is that the processes are set up to help us, to help us past hurdles, to master things. And God bless the young people who can take this for granted. 

 

TV for masses

My thoughts are in this vein as I think back to the "TV" of my boomer youth. Yes a lot of it was trite and watered-down. Shows were created to please the mass audience. Certainly that brought limitations and hindrances. But it had a good side too: storytelling at a pretty basic level with a minimum of sub-plots. Today the sub-plots really come at you. 

Today the entertainment is of a "niche" variety as you can find something narrowly tailored to your tastes. Which is nothing but good, right? It has its advantages. But the days of the mass shared culture were charming. Kids in school could discuss certain shows that were on the night before. There were only three TV networks. You could find kids who watched the same shows as you. Adults could talk the same way around the proverbial "water cooler." 

I remember that in high school, many of my peers excitedly discussed the show "Night Gallery" with host Rod Serling the next day. The show was like a continuation of the old "Twilight Zone." The new show was in color. My generation grew up when the change from black and white to color happened. "My Three Sons" went through the change along with the WWII drama "Combat!" 

TV of the '60s was influenced by Victorian attitudes. The comedians joked about the "censors." Nothing "scandalous" permitted. Society was a little Pollyannish, yes. And boys were fed an endless diet of "westerns." As you research that today, you'll become shocked at just how pervasive the western format was. 

To a degree I can understand it: definitely potential for action and drama in an untamed world. But with such excess. Even as kids, we could sense that the whole template was trying to teach us something. Heavy-handed moral instruction behind all the gunslinging and horse-riding. I'll interpret it all as Judeo-Christian preaching. Treat others the way you would want to be treated. 

Which is all quite laudable on the face of it. But. . . Right before our eyes, in full color on the evening news, we could see what our nation was doing in Southeast Asia. Today, the folly of all that is so obvious, it is not couched in cautious language. 

I give two examples. Brian Williams when he was anchor of the NBC Evening News - a show straining to be objective obviously - coming right out and saying the Vietnam War was "a colossal mistake." Apparently no controversy in the aftermath of the statement. And Wolf Blitzer on CNN in a similarly objective-in-theory news program, saying the Vietnam war was "a war that the United States lost." Again no dust-up in the aftermath of such a comment. 

The war hovers in my mind because I'd come home after school for years and watch the NBC Evening News broadcast: updates related to Vietnam, and over time considerable emphasis also to the war protests and "counterculture" that developed as a harsh statement to our elders about how we were not going to be like them. We were not going to sit back and accept what we were fed from the government about war. 

Our elders had been shaped by the WWII experience. Let's say war was necessary in the '40s but it was a 100 percent necessary evil to have to prosecute. My generation of boys watched the movie "The Longest Day" to be entertained. Why would we want to be entertained by such a thing? The WWII movies of the '60s were deliberately sanitized so we could basically "watch the good guys win" - the same entertainment appeal as the westerns, completely. 

The irony is that TV westerns did not even present the American "cowboy" accurately. Bless the cowboys as they did essential labor in the old West. They shoved manure around and smelled of manure. It was a job in ways that did not inspire fascination. Well, that's what most of us do today! We fantasize about a more dramatic life. And that's what the entertainment industry gives us: drama. It has to entertain to be profitable. 

Was it the rugged individualist "cowboys" who developed the American Southwest? Well no, more than anything it was the Hoover Dam, courtesy the Federal government! Women had a bigger role in the westward development than popular entertainment would have you believe. 

Boys had the Judeo-Christian ethic coming at them from the endless panoply of TV media back in the day. And as we had good vs. evil instilled in us so that we may make the right choices, our U.S. government made the miserable choice of building up military involvement in Southeast Asia. To this day my instinct is to reject "convention" based on all that, to reject any preaching of what might be right versus wrong. Because, we were screwed in our childhood years. 

I try telling myself to "get over it." I realize I ought to. But it takes effort. And in so many ways in the America of 2025, we seem to be regressing. It wouldn't even be a joke to suggest that Jim Crow could make a return. The only problem with that would be enforcement: you can no longer draw a line between "whites" and "coloreds" or "whites and Negroes." Jim Crow had to end because the legal profession realized it had to end. 

Same with segregation in Major League baseball. I have to laugh because eventually the black people opted for sports other than baseball. 

 

Westerns went into retreat

TV westerns eventually got the ax along with all rural-based programming. It was a conscious decision by those who ran TV. I believe Norman Lear was the main instigator as TV went "urban." 

With time, TV was no longer the mass entertainment media that it had been. It still exists. I don't have a TV contract and I don't miss it. But think back to when my generation was young and TV was this glorious escape, albeit a guilty pleasure. 

I think it's terrible we were made to feel guilty about watching TV or the "boob tube." Young people today would be mystified by the term "boob tube." The days when "the bad guys" wore "black hats."

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Tigers take two on a rare Wednesday

High school sports on a Wednesday. This always throws me. Can I assume the games were re-scheduled from before? After all, this is the spring season. And of course the spring is chock full of uncertainty about the weather. 

We have had several days where we could trot out our midsummer habits/clothing. Yes we might see a little "flab" from the winter. But it seems no one cares about that: being at least a little overweight. So different from when I was young. And as for the clothing, "grubby" is fine. I have read that the one big "gift" to our culture from the boomers is "casual Friday." However, we don't seem to think in "fashion" terms at all any more. 

Wear something comfortable. A sweatshirt and sweatpants are fine, maybe one size too big in fact. On the one hand, it is nice we are not so judgmental anymore. The only real reservation that one might suggest is that being overweight can be bad for your health. 

I hated the "tight-fitting" look from when I was young. My body did not take to it. It's water under the bridge now. 

So we're had quite the onslaught of wind the past few days, even all night long. In Minnesota there are no real surprises with the weather. The sheer persistence of this wind has made an impression. Could high school sports be played today (Friday)? I doubt it but I have seen games played under pretty serious challenges. Pressure to get the game in, I guess. 

Contrast this to winter when everything is indoors! Literally no comparison. I have written in the past that maybe high schools should organize a brief early-spring season indoors like for example with the boys playing volleyball. And then baseball and softball could be conducted to cover May through early August. Would take some flexibility. Just a thought. 

Track and field can be accommodated quite nicely in the fieldhouse meets. Shall I mention again my suggestion for UMM to try to get an "inflatable cover" for Big Cat field? St. Cloud State has this and St. Cloud State is in a rapidly deteriorating condition with numerous buildings being demolished. So very strange. Has the state dropped the ball on overseeing that place?

 

Tigers now 18-0!

A true juggernaut: that describes our MACA baseball Tigers in this spring of 2025. The Tigers were able to beat the onslaught of wind by playing a Wednesday doubleheader against BOLD. 

Think we have problems here in Morris with the substantial school staff cuts? Well, BOLD has a "criminal investigation" going with its school district. Sheesh. Vigilance is needed everywhere. 

The MACA baseball Tigers are 18-0 overall, 4-0 in section, 12-0 in conference, 10-0 on the road, 2-0 neutral and 6-0 at home. That's a lot of zeroes in the right places. How about a toast to the Tigers? 

Did they really play a doubleheader on a Wednesday? On church night? Well I guess they did. So we see scores of 12-2 and 8-2 with MACA shining. Action was at Bird Island. 

The schedule as seen on "Minnesota Scores" has just one more game date in the regular season. So we're looking at a doubleheader against Minnewaska Area on May 20 at 'Waska. After that: the tournament!

 

Game 1: Tigers 12, BOLD 2

The Tigers opened up breathing room on the scoreboard in the sixth. That was with a six-run rally that propelled them into double figures. Meanwhile BOLD managed just one run each in the second and fifth. Each team had one error. 

The teams were basically even in hit production, MACA with nine, BOLD with eight. MACA scored two runs each in the first, second and fourth. 

Not only did Ozzy Jerome have a perfect two-for-two boxscore line, his hits were a home run and a double! He drew two walks and stole two bases. He scored three runs and drove in two. 

Jack Kehoe went two-for-four, stole a base and drove in three runs. Jonah Huebner went two-for-three, walked, stole two bases, scored a run and drove in one. Andrew Marty doubled, stole two bases, walked and scored two runs. 

Riley Asmus also socked a double. He reached on hit-by-pitch. He drove a run in on a SAC fly. His RBI production was three. He crossed home plate twice. 

Jackson Hallman walked and scored a run. Kye Suess walked twice, stole two bases and scored a run. Justin Giese had a hit in his only at-bat, a double. He drove a run in. Drew Huebner walked and scored a run. 

Three BOLD Warriors each had two hits: Jonah Walton, Charlie Morse and Colton Baumgartner. 

The West Central Tribune has "Asmus" as the winning pitcher! We're familiar with both Riley and Alex. Since Alex's name doesn't appear anywhere else in the summary, shall I assume it was Riley? I kind of hate to do that. But for the record let's just say "Asmus" pitched the whole way of five innings and fanned seven batters. 

BOLD had Kole Uhlenkamp and Marcus Benson in action on the hill.

 

Drew Huebner (PBR)

Game 2: Tigers 8, BOLD 2

There's no question who pitched Game 2. It was Drew Huebner and he put on quite a display. Like, to the tune of striking out 14 over six innings. He complemented that by going two-for-three at bat. Can anyone stop the Tigers? But it took us until the sixth to take command. We finally took command with a six-run rally in the sixth. 

Huebner on the hill gave up two hits, two runs which were unearned, and walked two. Jackson Hallman finished things out. I guess the term is "closer." Hallman fanned a batter in his one inning. The two BOLD hits were by Charlie Morse. 

On to MACA: Our total of eight hits included Drew Huebner with a two-for-three stick, one of his hits a double. He stole a base and reached via HBP. He scored a run and drove in a run. Riley Asmus had a pair of hits, stole a base and scored two runs. 

Andrew Marty had a hit, stole a base, walked twice and scored two runs. Ozzy Jerome had a hit and drew two walks. He scored a run and drove in two. 

Alex Asmus has his name turn up for this game. And Alex contributed with a hit and a walk. Jack Kehoe stole a base and walked twice. Jonah Huebner walked and scored a run. Jackson Hallman delivered a triple. He also reached on hit-by-pitch. He scored a run and drove in a run. 

Kye Suess stole a base and drew two walks. 

Whew! Quite a day of baseball on the road for the MACA nine, continually building their stock as the post-season nears. Now we have to take care of business vs. those Lakers of Minnewaska!

 

High school sports on Wednesday

It's rare but it happens: prep sports on a Wednesday. I have long been suggesting - not that my words have reach - that high schools should put aside this practice of no  activities on Wednesday. They say it's "church night."  In this age when the Christian faith in America is getting so political, with a huge chunk of it now tied to Donald Trump and MAGA, I think this is inappropriate. It's time to end it. 

Especially in the spring, schools can feel a strain finding time slots for all the stuff going on. A friend tells me of a school where the administration sets aside a firm date for music and music simply takes over, no matter what! I certainly endorse hat. 

Sports can start drowning us actually. Set some limits.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Mother's Day, graduation, concert

A friend suggested I visit a Mother's Day buffet to honor my late mother. Well, it would be a pleasure and honor. So of course I did. That's two buffet-style meals in two days. Sunday was Mother's Day of course. On Saturday the occasion was UMM graduation with the day's schedule including all-you-can-eat at the dining hall. I attend there for both graduation and Homecoming, re-affirming my connection to the place. 

The connection is about entirely through family. Many people have long considered me to be little more than Ralph and Martha Williams' son. Obviously I made the rounds as a newspaper representative for many years, actually 27 years. When Mom got the Martelle Award at the UMM graduation, Jack Imholte was at the microphone and all he could say about me was that I had played in the "Morris community band!" 

I was present with my camera for the newspaper. Mom getting the award made it a priority. She ran the campus post office. She was not directly a UMM employee, rather she was Civil Service. 

My father was the music man. His image and reputation get revived whenever his musical compositions are performed. And wouldn't you know, one such occasion happened this past Monday night at the public school concert hall. After all these years the concert hall still makes an impression with its sterling quality, really its opulence. I attend concerts there often, really just for band. 

I had a disappointing experience the last time I went there for a choir concert. This was the Barb Wilts retirement concert. A picture of her was projected up on a screen. And as I recall the concert included a whole lot of grades. This led to my problem. I arrived maybe ten minutes before the concert. Man the place was packed! I was rather stunned. Then I got rather humiliated as my attempts to find a seat were met with the comment "these seats are saved." 

What's with so many seats being "saved" for music concerts? 

When I heard this remark again for the recent grades 5-8 band concert, I got a break. Initially this person gave me the old refrain "these seats are saved" and I stood there mute for a moment, showing disapproval. But the very nice band mom then offered me the seat on the other side of her. I ended up enjoying the concert very much. 

I'll finish my story about the Barb Wilts retirement concert: After getting frustrated 3-4 times, I stood in the aisle making a gesture of frustration and I was spotted by someone I knew who was sitting higher up. He knew of a seat I could use. So bless him. 

 

Ice cream and music

Let's move to the present. This past Monday was the big annual spring ice cream band concert. And a feature is that for an hour prior to the concert, various soloists and ensembles are featured in the cafeteria area. A joyous event, yes, as are all the spring events that culminate in graduation. 

I'll be getting one graduation card this year but it's for someone at the Herman school. My Herman friend has educated me on the difference between "Border West" and "Wheaton." As a young person I took in some football games involving the tried-and-true "Herman Panthers." Cyrus High School also had the "Panthers" nickname. The Herman kids today go between "Border West" and "Wheaton" in their sports involvement. 

I graduated from Morris when it was "Morris High School" without the word "Area." At least we're still "Morris." I would like to see the "Morris" name return by itself someday. Then we could go back to singing the school song as it was intended by its composer, Bob Schaefer. The fans would chant "M-H-S" in the opening section. Today it's four initials for reasons that must still be relevant. I might demur. 

And of course it's "MACA" for sports. Man, I can remember when it was a pretty heavy lift to get Chokio-Alberta to fully join us, to fully join in and have their hearts in it. The C-A community must have suddenly made a collective resolution. I wrote countless articles for the Morris newspaper about C-A sports. Got rather attached too, I might add. The days of Neal Hofland coaching the football Spartans are fading into the past. He has become well-established in Morris as an assistant. 

As the numbers diminished, C-A tried adjusting with, shall we say, fits and starts. So we saw some short-lived combos. Like, CACG for boys basketball. Was it the "Thunder?" I wrote articles on that. Later we had CAHN for football. "Chokio-Alberta-Herman-Norcross." I well-remember that. I would guess people over there to the west of us were stubborn about a full pairing with Morris. I would guess things even got emotional. Oh, I've been around the block a fair number of times. Today it's one big happy family? That's what I gather. 

And look how awesome the baseball and softball teams are this spring. 

I believe C-A still has its own band. So, everything happens at the Chokio building now? So much was in Alberta once. I covered so many Homecoming coronations and pep rallies in Alberta. 

Legend has it the Alberta location had to be abandoned because it was too close to Morris. The state figured that if the building was going to be that close to Morris, the kids might as well go to Morris.

 

A drag for Morris

Here's an important asterisk to add for all recollections about past pairing/combo proposals: for a long time the small high schools resisted greatly any thoughts of coupling with Morris because of a negative impression of the Morris school, particularly its extracurricular. The small schools sensed that Morris extracurricular was handled "like an extension of phy ed class," to quote a high-standing friend of mine at the time. 

My own observations from working at the paper was that my friend's analysis was dead-on. It took time but I think Morris got things straightened out. I will always feel it could have been done faster. We had an ossified and cynical teaching staff. A fire hose needed to be taken to that. And that took time. I think a new breed of school administrators came on the scene that were trained to be true no-nonsense managers with the manager mentality. 

At present the Morris school looks to be running quite fine. And the band concert of this past Monday underscored that. Underscored that in spades, actually. A friend tells me that Wanda wants to keep directing for as long as she's physically capable. Capable of getting up on the podium as she most certainly did with her typical panache. 

I was disappointed by only one thing Monday. Whereas in the past we'd get a nice bowl of ice cream, maybe three scoops, along with a choice among maybe four toppings, well this year we were served a small plastic cup of ice cream only! There was a basket for free-will offerings. 

I was happy to pay for the greater quantity of ice cream! 

But what a concert it was to close out the academic year! And of course a super bonus was that the bands played a composition by my late father, "Testament of Nations." But I'm happy to attend anytime, not just when Dad's work is on the program. I showed my appreciation by exchanging a hug with Wanda after the concert. 

I enjoyed my Mother's Day buffet at DeToy's Restaurant. Why would I go anyplace else? The other places have prices that have launched into orbit. Ridiculous. 

The weekend featured of course the UMM graduation. My reflections on that are on my companion blog "Morris of Course." I invite you to read with this link:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2025/05/assessing-umn-morris-for-its-2025.html 

My late parents having some leaf-raking fun at our residence on Northridge Drive. You might remember their names were Ralph and Martha.

Addendum: The late Chuck Spohr would have loved the MAHS band concert and the trumpet playing of his grandson, Charlie Hanson. We lost Chuck not long ago.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Girls win 7-1 and 10-0 at Minnewaska

Look at all the W's for the MACA softball Tigers on the "Minnesota Scores" website. On this Sunday morning we see a 15-1 record. Phenomenal as the post-season gets closer. Can the Tigers overcome the jinx of playing the southern Minnesota teams? 

The 15-1 numbers show that we are not world-beaters. Melrose found a way to defeat us on May 1. That was a 5-2 score. So outside of that game it's a series of W's to certainly please the fans. 

Most recently our success was on the road. Not far away, to Minnewaska Area. Our former activities director "defected" to 'Waska, or was "poached" or however you might like to describe it. It's a competitive marketplace. So while that individual gets paid more in 'Waska than our cheapskates were willing to offer - just kidding (?) - our softball team showed superiority in a doubleheader. We get the last laugh. 

MACA turned back the Lakers 7-1 and 10-0. The scores indicated it was business as usual for the orange and black. But again, can we do this against the likes of JCC? The goal is state. Looks like there's a home doubleheader coming up on Tuesday. After that, there are just two remaining regular season games. Will anything be done to accommodate fans better at our softball complex? 

Game 1 against the 'Waska Lakers had the 7-1 score. Haley Kill performed from the pitching circle. She was quite in command as shown by her 14 strikeouts. She allowed three hits and one run and walked one. Our line score showed us playing errorless ball. Our seven runs came on seven hits. The hits were pretty spread around. 

Brenna Jergenson had the multiple-hit game with a two-for-four line and a run-batted-in. Lauren Hottovy had a double, drew a walk and stole a base, plus she scored three runs and drove in one. Kaylin Steen had a hit, stole a base, drew a walk and drove in a run. Then we see Samantha Konz with a double, a run scored and two RBIs. 

Harmony Cloverdale went one-for-three, drew a walk and scored a run. Makenzie Konz walked and scored a run. Leah Berlinger tripled and scored a run. BTW I love the name "Harmony Cloverdale."

 

Game 2: Tigers 10, 'Waska 0

In command again, this time shutout-style. Nora Boyle was handed the ball for pitching duties. In her six innings she allowed three hits and struck out two. She also contributed a hit, one of eight by the Tigers. 

Again we played errorless ball. Boyle scored a run and drove in two. Samantha Konz had a hot bat with a double and triple as part of her three-for-three showing. Her RBI total was four. 

Lauren Hottovy had a hit in her only at-bat. She had a SAC fly, a walk received, an RBI and two runs scored. Kaylin Steen scored twice and stole a base. Haley Kill walked and scored a run. 

Harmony Cloverdale had a hit, drew a walk and scored a run. Makenzie Konz had a hit, drew a walk and scored a run. Ryla Koehler scored twice, rapped a hit and drew a walk.

 

UMM graduation

Memory tells me the UMM graduation has had to be moved indoors on many occasions. It's best when it can be outside of course. That's how it was for UMM's first graduation in 1964. I remember. 

The campus was blessed to have an outdoor ceremony for its 2025 edition. Very pleased to be in attendance. I'm sure the numbers are not as high as they once were. Still, a very impressive atmosphere for the grads and the proud family members and friends. 

I stopped by the dining hall for the graduation brunch. I told the attendant that the price was $12 back in the fall for Homecoming. So, what might it be for the spring graduation? Well, it was $13. So, isn't that how inflation works? The prices inch upward and we largely just absorb it. What else are we going to do? 

I enjoyed the brunch. Nice to have some Rice Chex cereal for a change. I don't have the refrigerator connected in my home. I live pretty conservatively. I have confronted diabetes and decided I don't need food temptations from the 'fridge. Good news: My most recent medical exam showed I am now "pre-diabetes" which is an improvement! Maybe I can progress further. 

We hope there are many more UMM graduations to come. But I don't know, as the Washington D.C. leaders are on the warpath against DEI. And, DEI is how UMM largely packages itself these days. Do I care? I really don't. I just care that the institution can survive or isn't driven into spasms of uncomfortable change. We'll see what things look like in the fall. 

Nice to see instrumental music again for the 2025 graduation: a brass group, very sharp. Simon Tillier directed. The group even played "Pomp and Circumstance." In an ideal world we'd have the regular symph. winds playing again. That was the norm for a long time. We took it for granted. Changing times bring adjustments.

 

MAHS music reminder below. And note there's an ice cream social set for 6 p.m.

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com