I may not have been born here, but I’ve lived here long enough to know that Albert Lea and Austin engage in the friendly tradition of believing our town is just a little better than theirs (and vice versa).
I may not have been born here, but I’ve lived here long enough to know that Albert Lea and Austin engage in the friendly tradition of believing our town is just a little better than theirs (and vice versa). Every Little Thing by April Jeppson I may not have been born here, but I’ve lived here long enough to know that Albert Lea and Austin engage in the friendly tradition of believing our town is just a little better than theirs (and vice versa). I think this is fairly normal for neighboring communities, especially those with high school teams that compete against each other. We had the same type of thing in the town where I grew up. Every once in a while, though, something comes along and unites people who normally don’t agree. Maybe it’s school boundaries that divide them, politics or the debate over whether you should spray for dandelions or leave them be. Whatever the issue, occasionally something unexpected brings opposing sides together. We had one of those moments earlier this month when Todd the Bear appeared on the scene. I don’t remember the exact post I read that informed me of his presence in Austin. However, I do remember that a couple of days later, he started making photoshopped appearances in local advertising. When I learned he had traveled to Glenville, the AI-generated Todd sightings only increased. Over the last year or two, I haven’t gone online as often as I used to. I spend less time scrolling through posts because it just hasn’t been as enjoyable. I still love seeing updates from friends and photos of their adventures. Happy babies and new puppies continue to bring me joy. Unfortunately, with increased advertising mixed with bad news from around the world, I don’t see as many giggling toddlers as I used to. So, I’ve stepped back a bit. For almost a week, I looked forward to going online after work. I wanted to see where Todd the Bear was hanging out that day. I saw him test-driving vehicles, getting his hair done, working at a hotel, sipping margaritas and even getting a massage. More than once, I laughed out loud at the latest shenanigans he’d been up to. People and businesses were having fun with their posts, and I was here for it. Todd was everywhere and didn’t care about city limits or rivalries. And for a brief moment, neither did we. He was a force for good. Unfortunately, he left our world about as quickly as he entered it. Yet the support, love and grief continued. It was a beautiful thing to watch people mourn together over something that, on the surface, seemed so small. Maybe that’s what struck me the most about the whole experience. For a week, people set aside differences, complaints and whatever else usually fills our feeds. Instead, they created fun content and collectively rooted for a wandering bear that had accidentally become a local celebrity. I don’t know that there’s a profound lesson in any of it. I just know that for a few days, Todd gave us something to smile about. In a world that can sometimes feel heavy, it was a nice break. Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams. Her column appears every Saturday.
