My favorite part of the interview

I enjoyed lunch with Deb at Oscar’s this week. I’m reminded how much I enjoy their “fry” sauce. It seems to be essentially mayonnaise with some added seasonings or sauces, but it is delicious. 

Musing between the two of us, I recalled happenings in Waseca that should be mentioned in the paper:

1. Yellow Mushroom is for sale. 

2. Casey’s North is remaining Casey’s and will no longer be sold to whichever company it had been supposedly sold to. 

3. Too many other upcoming events are happening for me to list in this space. Please check the “briefs” column on the front page.

Yellow Mushroom has always been a favorite for my family. Dad brought us there many times growing up. He and I also went there for dinner on my most recent birthday. The strongest memory I have, however, is Dad getting really mad when the staff took too long to get us our pizza. Growing up, Nathan, my older brother, had ADHD and would become very impatient. On this occasion Dad called ahead so our order could be started before we got there. It must have been a Thursday, because it was a long wait. But who could beat a free medium pizza with the purchase of a large? 

Just so I don’t send the wrong message, the majority of memories from Yellow Mushroom are fond, warm and happy. 

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jon Butler to talk about his new bank. He sent me a text message last week telling me about the soft opening. As I drove to town on Thursday, I saw the billboard on the south edge of town reminding me to interview him. A few hours later I walked into the newly minted FM Bank Building. 

It was a little surreal. For the previous year and more, Jon was in the front office in the same building as where the Pioneer was located, along State Street in Waseca. 

Seeing him in his official bank attire, standing proudly in the new location, is something I have few, or rather many, words for. 

It was a little breathtaking. Being president of a bank is a big deal and an important job. But I’ve only known Jon as Jon for the past year. He’s been a friend to me as I have been, I hope, to him. I think the word I’m looking for is proud. 

I’m proud of Jon for what he’s accomplished. 

Despite only knowing him for a year, it’s among the greatest accomplishments/leaps (professionally) I’ve seen someone in my life make. 

All of that raced through my mind, and then some, as I walked up and shook his hand as he stood there smiling his big Jon smile. 

Jon gave me an extended tour of the new location while telling me about the vast number of improvements and renovations. (It really is/was/will continue to be a significant investment in Waseca.) 

My favorite part of the interview was when Jon talked about his kids. (In his new office he still has Brooks’ “letter to Santa '' which was printed in the paper last year, as were all such letters written by Hartley second-graders. I had set that letter aside to give him after we were done scanning them into the paper. I never expected him to put it on his wall.)

It was cool to hear him talk about his kids coming into the bank with ideas. It reminded me of when I was a kid walking into my dad’s office and telling him my ideas for the newspaper. 

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. 'Good pride' represents our dignity and self-respect. 'Bad pride' is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.” - Bear Bryant