My writing dilemma

Rick Wimer

I haven’t written anything for a while.  For the last day or two I’ve been contemplating and questioning myself on what to write about.  Should I write about my knee replacement recovery, the awesomeness of BVRMC care and rehab. Or the marvelousness of my awesome wife Kapae who has cared for me in every way and every minute of every day? Or the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced in my life or my goal to get back on my Trike and ride through the beautiful parks of Storm Lake that our city workers, (I call them the Green Shirters) meticulously manicure them throughout the year.

I’m way behind on my goal of 6,000 miles for 2026. I rode four miles in Frank Starr yesterday, only 5,996 to go and it’s already almost April. Talk about exhilaration, wow! I’ve often thought about writing of all the events, food drives, kid activities, community events and all the wonderful activities Storm Lake United do to promote living in one of the finest towns in America for its residents.

I could write about kids, Christ and Kiwanis

Or that Spring has arrived and I can look to the green up and flowering throughout the City Beautiful. Or maybe, as President of our Kiwanis Beavers club, what our plans are for this year raising funds that go almost exclusively to the youth of our city like serving a pancake breakfast for “The Bridge” in April and our annual fishing contest in May.

Or possibly about my support of our local Goodfellows organization, that I benefited from as a kid when we moved here in 1954 as a nine-year-old. Or the blessing I get at my weekly Bible study with a group of Christian men of all faiths and my connection with my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ that I get from attending the Church of New Beginnings.

I could fill countless pages about my five daughters, four granddaughters and one grandson and how proud I am of all of them. Most recently, one of the daughters just last week graduated from a police academy in Texas and was hired as a police officer in Austin, Texas. It’s been a long-time goal for her.

I met Katie Bauer and a gentleman from Laos

On the other hand, I could write about my frustration and concern that the Buena County Conservation Board wants to turn the Casino Marina into an office building and equipment storage facility rather than a commercial asset that would serve the county and Storm Lake and their residents with a multiple list of financial benefits to both from the business it would bring to Storm Lake. I have yet to find any local residents who would want to turn this awesome piece of real estate into an office.

I interrupt this article today because it’s 76 degrees out and I going for an awesome Trike ride. But I will be back.

I’m back, did five miles, only 5,991 to go. It was great and I got to meet Katie Bauer and a gentleman from Laos on the ride and then connected with Howard Hatlelid. Depending on how long a ride I take, I always like to connect myself to two or three new people on each ride. Over the almost three years that we’ve lived here, I’ve probably connected with over 250 folks from Storm Lake, small towns in Northwest Iowa, people from Cuba, Laos, Micronesia, Hispanics and many other nationalities that reside in Storm Lake; many of whom I can’t remember their names. (It’s an aging thing, so I’m told).

I could write about meeting Wilt Chamberlain

I could also write about meeting Wilt Chamberlain on an elevator in the Waldorf Astoria on a day trip I took from Fort Meade, Md., where I worked at the National Security Agency while I was in the Air Force. Then again, I could write about flying volunteer search and rescue missions for downed pilots close to the North Pole.

Or, holding up a light pole in the French Quarter in front of Pat O’Briens after having one too many Zombies. Attending a Peter, Paul and Mary concert at a beautiful outdoor theater in Baltimore.  And of course, in March of 1984 when the Baltimore Colts moved overnight to become the Indianapolis Colts and how I, while managing about 7,000 apartments in Indy, was able to house the whole team and many of its personnel, when Gary Padjen, a Colts linebacker, showed up in my office door looking for accommodations; and the multitude of Colt stories I have.

…or meeting Mario Andretti

Also, about the 12 consecutive years I attended the Indy 500 and housing most of the Race Teams during April and May and the interactions I had with, Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Rick Mears and A.J Foyt and the myriads of pit, garage and suite privileges they provided to me; like sitting on the start/finish line at every race.

Or leaning back on a pillar on top of the Mackinac Island Fort on a beautiful blue sky, blue water day reading a book after riding my bike around and through the island numerous times. (Only bikes and horses allowed on the roads-no motorized vehicles) and sitting on the porch of the Grand Hotel where Christopher Reeve stared in the movie “Somewhere in time.” Or, my first RAGBRAI in 1987 that took me through Ute, where I was born, and Storm Lake where I graduated St. Mary’s High School; with about 10,000 other riders from all over the world. This list could go on and on.

What do you think?

Rick Wimer writes from Storm Lake.