All Minnesotans can be set into three main groups when it comes to the lake. Those of us who either live at the lake or in a rural area and do not go to the lake, because there is no need. We’re already away from the city and don’t need to escape. This is the category I grew up in. I’ve lived in the rural area and I’ve lived at the lake.
I’ve even lived in a lake town that had a lot of the next category. The cabin people. We all know at least one of these. They are the ones who own or rent a cabin and go to the lake as much as they can. To escape the city and in some cases be as loud as possible from Friday night until Sunday night when they go home.
Finally you have the people who just don’t care about going to the lake. These are the town and city people who either don’t go because they can’t or because they simply rather spend their weekends at home. Which is where I was happily existing. Since going to the lake where one’s parents live to see them doesn’t really count as going to the lake; it’s just going to see your mom.
That was until I married into a cabin family. My husband’s family is constantly going to the cabin; all year round. Which has been a new experience for me.
Yes, I did grow up around the lake and lived there for part of my early 20s. However, it’s a very different experience then being a cabin person. When you live at the lake you go about your normal business and when the cabin people are around you might plan your weekend around avoiding them; at least that’s what I used to do. Mainly because in the lake town I was living in the cabin people tended to forget how to follow traffic rules once they got there.
Now I’m experiencing all sorts of new things. On these short Friday evening through Sunday runs to the cabin. Such as kayaking, playing on the beach, and going out onto the lake without going to fish. I will say I quite enjoy kayaking.
Like I said there are three categories of Minnesotans when it comes to the lake. Most of us only ever fall into one or two of those categories. To my fellow people who have been in all three I hope that you are in your favorite of the three.
