Life in the Midwest is Truly the Best
It’s been a minute since I’ve written, and that’s because I was in Cheboygan Michigan with the fam. Not to be confused with Sheboygan, WI, Cheboygan, MI, is on Lake Huron near Mackinac Island.
Mackinac Island is this magical place where vehicles, apart from emergency ones, are not allowed. It has an state highway that covers the 8.2 mile circumference and prohibits any motorized vehicles. It also has 500 horses and many more bicycles. More for later. For this week, I am featuring “Midwest is Truly* the Best” in honor of the State Fair that just finished last week.
More than ten years ago, I worked a pretzel bite stand at the State Fair. I was reminded throughout the day to offer the jalapeño pretzel bites. To nobody’s surprise, most white people rejected the offer. What I did find amusing, though, were the people’s responses to my question, “Would you like cheese?” Half of the people said, “Well, I am a Wisconsinite, of course I want cheese!” While the other half said, “I am a Wisconsinite, and that isn’t real cheese, so, of course, I will not have any.” To each their own, I guess.
This cheese exchange is one of the many reasons that make me proud to be a Midwesterner from Wisconsin. Sure, the winters are brutal, but the summers are amazing. I eat brats in the summer like I eat apples in the fall. Although I am not the biggest football fan, I am proud to cheer the Packers. After all, we Wisconsinites will stand in below 0 weather for our team.
If you live in the Midwest, you are probably familiar with our celebrity, Charlie Berens. In 2023, I watched many of his clips. I even got his Survival Guide to the Midwest. Watching his clips made me wish I grew up in small town, or at least with a lake house. When my 30th birthday was coming up a few years ago, I decided to have a Midwest birthday weekend a la Charlie Berens. My friends and I went to a fish fry, walked on a frozen lake, got invited over for dinner to a friend of a friend’s, went to a supper club, and at scotcharoos. At the end of the trip, I started writing lyrics to this song with some help of my friends. I let the song marinate for a couple of years and improved the chorus last year. Chorus below:
’Cause life in the Midwest is truly* the best!
It’s nice to have a home where the smiles are free to roam!
Life in the Midwest surely beats all the rest!
It’s nice to live somewhere, where the people truly care!
Below are pictures that inspire the song/evidence why the Midwest is Simply* the Best!
Packer Games at Lambeau in January 2025
Go Pack go!
Beer Gardens in the summer
In Milwaukee we have a traveling beer garden that tours the city parks.
Kwik Trip Hot dogs
A must on a road trip
Just your average Supper Club
The Fox and Hound near Holy Hill
Dressin’ up in flannel at my birthday weekend
while sippin’ on old fashions at a upper club in Fondy
Life is good at da lake (Apostle Islands)
If you haven’t already, you should vacation at one of Wisconsin’s lakes. Our lakes are tranquil, some are very clean, and refreshing. Don’t forget water shoes.
I look forward to playing the song live again on September 12th at the Bublr Bash!
*I will sing “Life in the Midwest is Simply the Best” moving forward jsyk. It rings better than truly.