Traditions burned into memory

AP Photo Fire destroys the historic Lutsen Lodge. Star Tribune, February 6, 2024.

“It's all happenin' at the Polar Bear lounge”

My friend and I along with our sons would sing this original ditty each time we entered the bar at Lutsen Resort. Just outside the entrance was the very large stuffed polar bear after which the lounge was named. Cary and I would order beers; the boys would order Roy Rogers. And we all looked quite manly perched on our bar stools, quaffing our pre-dinner cocktails. We were "Les Hommes du Nord"!

A visit to the Polar Bear Lounge was just one of the many traditions we established on our yearly spring trips to the North Shore. Often taking advantage of the long weekend provided by school Easter break, Cary and his two sons and I with my one son would stay in cabin G2 in the Sea Villas, just a mile or so from the lodge. The villas sat on the shoreline of Lake Superior, with pounding waves often providing a dramatic view from the dining room windows. I got the bedroom. Cary got the living room couch. The boys got the loft. We usually swam at the pool. The boys would scramble over the shoreline rocks. Given whether Easter came earlier or later, we skied the nearby resort or hiked one of the many sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. We took meals at Blue Fin, the Angry Trout, or Coho Cafe.

But Easter morning breakfast was always eaten at the Lutsen Lodge where we could indulge in the hearty buffet while looking at the foot bridge crossing the Poplar River. On the shore, trout fishermen cast their lures, often successfully. Not only did we eat breakfast each Sunday in the Lusen restaurant, we sat at the same table each time. Except one morning, the table had already been taken by another family. The boys were not happy.

Their unhappiness was a vivid reminder of just how important tradition can be to people -especially children. Traditions are reassurance that in a quickly changing world, some things will remain the same: the fun we have with our friends, the love of our parents, the comforts of a small cabin visited but once a year.

Like many other Minnesotans, I was deeply saddened to learn of the fire that destroyed the Lutsen Lodge this week. The polar bear, the buffet table, the game room, the log paneled lobby - all now ashes.

But memories, strengthened by tradition, cannot be incinerated. I hope Lutsen will be rebuilt in a way that provides happy experiences for young and future wilderness explorers. 

 

Les Hommes du Nord (circa 1991)

How much living space does a person need?

The assisted living apartment like my mom's is 452 square feet.

Each time I read an article in the paper about Minnesota’s “housing shortage” crisis, I can’t help but think about all the wasted living spaces we currently have.

While I know there are families that probably need more square feet, most of my interactions are with people who live in homes with too much unused space. The older adults who I drive are mostly single and often live in what look to be three or four bedroom homes. Of which, I am guessing, two or three bedrooms rarely get used.

On retirement, I downsized from a 2900 sq ft house to an 850 sq ft townhome. I did a thorough decluttering. Except when family is visiting, rarely miss the extra space. I do have two bedrooms, the second smaller one I use for an office/guest room, but I am happy with my single bathroom, single kitchen, single living room, and single car garage. My “man cave” suits me quite well. 

My siblings and I moved our mom into an assisted living apartment last fall. Her accommodations shrunk from a small house to an apartment half the size (see photo above). So far, the reduction in living space has not been an issue for her. Might all single adults be able to live in a home of less than 500 square feet? How much room do couples actually require?*

Do we older adults tend to hang on to spaces we don’t really need for far too long, keeping young families from being able to afford homes that give them room to thrive?** I usually attribute my mom’s hoarding tendencies to having been a child during the Great Depression, but we Boomers don’t really have scarcity of the basic necessities as an excuse for our love of “stuff.” And I expect it is our beloved belongings that keep many from moving to smaller quarters.

One governmental push to reduce the shortage of available housing has been to subsidized “affordable” housing units. I suspect they are building places with three bedrooms and two baths since this seems to be the standard anymore. Might a better tactic be to increase the number of very small homes - apartments, townhouses, etc. - to which those now living in big, older homes might move?

It seems we have lots of space in the housing market - it’s just not very well used!

* I've been reading Roberts' novel Shantaram which is set in the slums of Mumabi. Another whole perspective on "needed" space for human beings.

**The current housing market makes it difficult to downsize to save money since prices and interest rates are high.