PHOTO OF THE DAY: POWER OF THE PEOPLE
Eric Buechler gives a thumbs up from the Grace Lutheran Church Youth Group food stand at the Pioneer Power Show last weekend. In addition to the coverage of the event itself, this week’s Courier includes a column by Publisher Jeremy Waltner that offers a personalized look into Menno’s biggest two-day event.
POWER OF THE PEOPLE
The older I get the more I enjoy being home on weekends. Even being gone for fun can be a drag at times because I so much cherish the comfort of the living space Stacey and I have curated over the course of the last 17 years. You can imagine, then, how I feel when I have to be gone for work!
I admit that I grumbled a bit as I sipped my Saturday morning coffee from my “Disney Dad” mug I brought home from Orlando during a family vacation there years ago. I straight up did not want to drive to Menno to cover the Power Show; ESPN’s College GameDay had more appeal, plus I was in the mood to make eggs benedict, one of my Saturday specialties.
But Menno it was, and I stepped foot on the grounds of Pioneer Acres shortly after 9:30 a.m. and began taking it all in.
At 11:45 I texted Stacey: “Every year I would rather stay home and enjoy my Saturday, and every year the Power Show produces an authentic high.”
It’s true.
It didn’t take long after my arrival that I remembered why the Power Show is such an enjoyable affair. I got there early enough on Saturday to observe the slow trickle of people that would, by 1 p.m., have the grounds bustling with activity, like bees in a hive. And as I observed, I once again noticed how much there is to do for everybody.
And, for one reason or another, this year I really paid attention. I watched closely as the stove at the saw mill was stoked with firewood, the belt on one of the giant tractors lubricated with oil, and the way in which the 1941 Worthington Engine — first used by the city of Wessington Springs to generate electricity — really worked.
And I’m not even close to a steam engine operator, let alone a mechanical guy!
Maybe it was the nice weather, maybe it was the good vibes I was getting from other guests at the Power Show, or maybe it was the perfect amount of morning coffee. Whatever it was, I was into it and was looking forward to coming back on Sunday.
Events like the Pioneer Power Show make our small communities sing. They provide a sense of purpose, a feeling of togetherness and this idea that, you know what? Everything is going to be OK. I especially appreciate the attention Menno’s big two-day event gives to history; it truly is about much more than steam-generated power. It’s about the power of people doing remarkable things.
If you’ve never been to Pioneer Acres during the show, do yourself a favor and go. There really is something for everybody. If nothing else, hit up one of the church youth groups for lunch, or check out Sunday’s big sausage and pancake feed that is practically as old as the Power Show itself.
If there’s even a sliver of humanity in you, you won’t be disappointed. And trust me on this: The Power Show puts College GameDay to shame.
That’s something I won’t forget next year.
