Maybe it was me thinking that major surgery to my lower back was just not that big of a deal. I’ll just have the surgical procedure in Minneapolis and return to writing and marketing for the Northern Sentry in just a couple of days. But I soon found out that the older we get, the harder it is to recover from major surgeries.

Along that same train of thought, I am married to—this July will be 48 years—arguably the greatest nurse for helping me recover from this operation. All of my friends, especially my military friends, remind me that I married way above my pay grade. I could not agree more. In fact, one of the considerations in going forward with the operation was knowing that Sue would be with me. From the operation in downtown Minneapolis to the trip home and now the six to eight weeks of recovery, I knew I had the best.

Finally, even though it took me a bit by surprise, my boss, Ted Bolton, owner of the Northern Sentry, has single-handedly taken on the responsibility of covering for me. Why did it take you by surprise, Rod? This is North Dakota, and we are a very close-knit community.

Let me fill in a couple of the blanks here.
I tried to keep everyone in the loop—friends, business acquaintances, and others who knew me—that I was having this operation, with one small caveat: my thoughts were along the lines of, “Hey, I’ll be back at my job in no time. I can write from home.”

Most people were certainly more concerned than I was about my ability to just flip the switch after a couple of days in the hospital. Without a lot of extra talk, let’s just say those who were skeptical of my ability to jump right back into my job were right. I ended up spending four days at Abbott Northwestern, followed by two days traveling back to Minot. Me being “right back on my computer” just wasn’t going to happen. Even today’s article, more than two weeks after surgery, had to be carefully orchestrated, allowing time for rest between thinking, planning, and writing.

The Reaction to Ted’s Message Was Amazing!
The week before I left for surgery, Ted informed those who knew me through the Northern Sentry and my other military ties about the challenge I had ahead. He asked for prayers and encouraged others to drop me a note when they had a minute. There must be a lot of people with a lot of minutes out there because my text messages and email inbox were very busy. Sue was able to keep people informed about what turned out to be a 10-hour surgery (it was originally planned for around six hours) and the outcome.

On my side, there were cards sent to the Northern Sentry office, a plethora of text messages sent to both Sue and me, and finally, since my return to Minot last week, Ted has been my POC (point of contact) for the many folks at Minot Air Force Base whom I have met and befriended. I even received a note that went something like this: “Hey Rod, I don’t know you personally, but I hear you’re in need of prayers. Know that I am sending them your way.”

Indeed, that’s where you get tears in your eyes and truly understand what it means to be part of a community. The words “North Dakota Nice” take on a larger-than-life meaning.

As much as I tried to make my surgery and absence from the Northern Sentry seem like a small “glitch” in my life, Ted wanted people to know the truth: Rod Wilson had a challenge ahead and needed thoughts and prayers.

And Today…
Well, today, as I write this article, I have resigned myself to the fact that there is no magic switch to flip that will return me to a normal life at “warp speed.” I have also accepted that a return to normal will take time and patience. Looking at my calendar, once-scheduled events now have question marks beside them. There may need to be a Plan B.

I don’t know where to start in saying “thank you” to everyone for their concern, but I hope you all feel the special sense of community that exists between Minot and Minot Air Force Base, just as I did. My dad used to say, “There are no secrets in small towns.” It probably had a slightly different meaning back when I was a kid, and that’s OK. Having an entire community care about you—some not even knowing you all that well—is what defines us far beyond anything else that can be said.

My Community Shout-Out!
For the Brass Band of Minot concert this Sunday, February 15, at 4 p.m. at Ann Nicole Nelson Hall on the campus of Minot State University. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play my tuba or emcee the event, but I guarantee you a great show!

Today’s Chuckle
Common sense is like soap. It doesn’t do you any good unless you use it.