During COVID then Governor Doug Burgum, now Interior Secretary Burgum, coined a phrase “Let’s just all be North Dakota nice” as we approached the tensions that were sure to happen as the entire nation was inconvenienced with the COVID protocols. 

I recently used the words North Dakota nice in an article to describe the pleasant greetings that I receive as I pass through the gates at Minot Air Force Base. I was called a bit on the carpet for that reference as a friend of mine who is active duty Air Force and from Texas pushed back a little and “so what is this, you mean there isn’t a Texas nice, or a Wyoming nice?” The conversation was never going to lead to an all-out argument, but I thought it better that I have the young man sit down for a minute and we would continue the conversation. 

 “To be honest, I had never used the words “North Dakota Nice” until our Governor introduced them in his daily press conferences during the COVID years, especially the first COVID year when it was hard to see an improvement in our overall situation nationwide” I explained “but as I thought about it, I started to buy into the North Dakota Nice attitude. It’s not that people in Wyoming are not nice, or people in Texas are not nice, but even you have said to me that it seems that everyone in North Dakota is always so nice.” 

 I could tell at that point that the conversation was starting to turn my way. Instead of a defensive posture that defended all of the other 49 states, he began to talk about his many experiences where North Dakota Nice made the difference. “You know, I bet I can’t count the number of times that someone held the door for me at a local restaurant. And how often a salesclerk thanked me for having patience.” And I asked “and did you then start to hold doors and thank people? More than you did before you lived in North Dakota for a while?” And he had no choice to agree that indeed North Dakota had changed his attitude, but he was still a bit hesitant to admit that he had a major change in attitude after living in Minot.

The young Airman then smiled and said, “you know, when we get kids that PCS (Permanent Change in Station) into Minot, they always seem, well at least a lot of them seem to come here with a chip on their shoulder.” Of course, I agreed with him, and told him how when I was young and would get perturbed, or even downright mad at someone, and during out suppertime family conversations would let everyone at the table know how I felt. My Dad would always let me exhaust my emotions and then very calmly and quietly say something to the effect of “well Rod, you can do nothing and be mad a long time, or you can kill (him) with kindness…you know, be so nice that he won’t quite know how to act. 

More than likely, he won’t have any choice but to be nice back.” Did it work? Most of the time it did indeed work. However, the word of advice always came with a caveat, perhaps it would be more of a stern warning, “but when you take this approach, you know that you need to forgive, forget and move on.” Words well taken for me, and I have often used them on my own kids, and in my own life. 

 Back to those kids who arrive in Minot, North Dakota, thinking that if Minot weren’t the end of the world, you can certainly see it from here. More than likely their first experiences will have a lot of North Dakota Nice in them. Over and over we hear that the relationship between Minot and Minot Air Force Base is absolutely one of the best in all of the Air Force. I have always been one to believe that attitude and character are not something you turn on and off. The relationship between the city of Minot and Minot AFB does not all of a sudden one day become exceptional. It is something that is hereditary. I have to admit that with my position at the Northern Sentry I have my radar up all the time just looking for examples of North Dakota Nice. Certainly, there are exceptions, there always are. And when those situations present themselves; forgive, forget and move on. Because what I have found out over the years, and especially since then Gov Burgum introduced North Dakota Nice, or maybe just brought it to the forefront, is that it is much easier, and much more satisfying to be North Dakota Nice, than the alternative. 

Best Kept Secrets
Minot State University will start this season with the classic theatrical presentation of Nunsense, followed by Fiddler on the Roof. Here is the complete schedule for season 60 for the MSU Summer Theater. It may be a best kept secret for the quality of the talent in the shows but sometimes shows sell out so get your tickets early. Go to minotstate.edu/theater to find the online ticket reservations.
Nunsense – June 10-15
Fiddler on the Roof – June 24-29
One Strange Night – July 8-13
High School Musical, Jr. – July 17-19 – (Open to actors ages 12 to 18)
Spongebob the Musical – July 23-26, 28-31

Today’s Chuckle
There’s a big difference between looking cool and not looking so hot.