Things we love: Lake Wobegon

When I first got into listening to Welcome to Night Vale back in eighth grade, my dad and I were talking about it and chatting about radio,etc. He told me that Night Vale sounded like the really bizarre child of this show called Lake Wobegon. It had a cast of regular characters (Father Wilmer/Old Woman Josie) it had familiar places (The Chatterbox Cafe/ Big Rico's) and they both covered whatever news was going on in their beloved little towns ( Snow on the fourth of July/ The unraveling of the Universe) Lake Wobegon is a fictional town in Minnesota, and the host Garrison Kieler tells stories he remembers or made up, and new ones that might be happening somewhere. It starts out the same every time 'It's been a  _______ week in Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, my home town, out there on the edge of the prairie.' and it ends the same every time: 'Well, that's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average."
Lake Wobegon is just more power to small towns. As in Night Vale,  maybe the news isn't always great, nor do they like it or enjoy it all the time. Regardless, the characters have a fierce sense of loyalty to that normal-ness that they might not like. Not quoted directly but an episode from Night Vale said 'This is our town, and it is terrible, but it is ours. And we are willing to fight for it'. Lake Wobegon is a radio masterpiece, and it makes you think about your family, seasons, being a prophet, how well you know the people you know, the funny things you don't know about the people you don't know, and of course, rhubarb pie.
I suggest a trip to the library to get a couple of cassettes or cds. I suggest thinking about your childhood and how much of it is made up by you. I suggest thinking more about your small town, even if it isn't that small, how you can make it seem so.
I hope you have a relaxing break, readers
*Apologies if this post makes little sense- it's early on a Winter break day-I'm sacrificing for you folks, but my brain isn't 100% here yet.