A stretch of pine trees is reflected in a stream. Just ahead, an American flag and a Canadian flag wave together in front of a house with a sloping roof. We are in Grand Marais, a small town overlooking the northern shore of Lake Superior, in northern Minnesota, almost on the border with Canada. Here, time seems to have stood still, because this land does not know the fast pace of hyper-connected metropolises and the technology we are bound to—or perhaps it simply ignores it. In this magical place, land of the Ojibwe tribe, lives Carol Dornfeld, a retired doctor who moved here with her husband Kirk Dornfeld five years ago, after spending most of her life in southern Minnesota.
“I liked the idea of living in a place with four seasons, and above all with a cold winter, because I love cold weather,” Carol says as she drives toward her house on the lake.To get there, one must cross a stretch of forest. A fawn hides behind a bush, then darts away.
“The other reason I like living here is that there are so many interesting people,” she tells me as she steps out of the car. “Their families have been here for generations. Everyone has stories to tell, and I love listening to them. I believe it is very important to listen to others, especially in this time of extremely polarization in our country. What I also love about this place is that, despite the differences among people, there is respect—we all treat each other with civility,” she says. “I think it’s important to recognize the humanity of each person because too often now people are not thought of as humans and if we dehumanize another, then we might not care how they’re treated. But if we recognize the humanity in each person, even if we strongly disagree with whatever they’re doing or saying we still have to treat them with respect.”
