Are you toiling in the urban mailroom?

December 22nd, 2009 by Mike Knutson

As I mentioned in my previous post, there is a lot of insightful information in this Minnesota Public Radio virtual forum. I shared some of the best themes and comments in that post, but I wanted to pull out one comment for publication by itself.

Late in the conversation, Jennifer Gumbel (10:52) provided the following insightful comment:

I feel I live in an area that is brain-gaining… SE MN. I’m originally from Sioux Falls and have lived in the Cities and in Des Moines. I now live in Le Roy, MN and work in Preston as an attorney. My professional and personal life is more fulfilling in many ways than my big city classmates. I have more responsibility on more interesting cases. I’m a homeowner and live next to a State Park. I have the opportunity to play part time in a symphony. I see many of my colleagues or friends who are originally from this area returning. I couldn’t be happier to be in a small town.”

Wow! What an endorsement for rural Minnesota.

What Jennifer suggests is an often overlooked attractor to rural places: Many talented young people who migrate to the city often end up toiling in the mailroom, while their rural counterparts are taking on real responsibilities right away.

Obviously, that’s not universal for every person and job, but it’s important to note because we know Gen Y is very interested in being given responsibility. If I were recruiting a young person to work in a rural community, I would definitely emphasize this point.

And congratulations to Le Roy and Preston, MN. Sioux Falls’ loss is rural Minnesota’s gain.

Photo Credit — libraryimages - Flickr (Preston, MN 1874 — click to enlarge)

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