Unknotting the Mess: Labor, Immigration, and Hope in the Heartland

In this episode, Mary and Leah open with the familiar rhythms of Midwestern life, weather, winter wellness, and the importance of vitamin D, before moving into a deeply honest, timely conversation about immigration, agriculture, and the values shaping our food system. Sparked by recent events in Minnesota and the emotional weight they carry, the discussion explores why so many Americans are feeling frustrated, sad, and divided, and how those feelings connect to broken systems that affect us all. From labor shortages in agriculture to the human cost of immigration policy, Mary and Leah step back from sound bites and headlines to look at the bigger picture. This episode centers on one core idea: together matters. Together in community. Together in responsibility. Together in rebuilding systems that no longer work. Rather than arguing politics, Mary and Leah focus on people, the farmers, families, immigrants, and neighbors whose lives are intertwined with the food we eat and the values we hold. They discuss why cheap food has come at a high cost, why honorable work deserves fair pay, and why fear and misinformation are harming our ability to solve real problems. The conversation also touches on: Labor challenges in agriculture and the role of immigrant workers The cultural shift away from valuing hard, physical work Why “breaking even” isn’t sustainable for farms or communities How broken immigration systems create fear instead of solutions The growing impact of misinformation and AI-generated content Practical ways listeners can show up with grit, grace, and courage Mary and Leah close with hope, grounded in community, young people, and everyday acts of kindness, reminding listeners that change doesn’t start on social media or TV screens, but in how we treat one another. Takeaway We may not have all the answers, but we are capable of better. And it starts with choosing empathy, accountability, and connection, right where we live. Resources & Links Website: gritandgraceintheheartland.com Blog posts and episode player available for every episode 00:00 Mary and I'm Leah and welcome to Grit and Grace in the Heartland.  Good morning, Leah. How are you? Good morning, Mary. A beautiful day in the neighborhood. Is it nice in Nebraska right now? It is again, this atypical, droughty, mild January, a 40 % chance of rain tonight. I'm hopeful for that. As odd as that sounds for rain in the middle of January, but we will take it. Yeah. 00:28 Absolutely. It's been so  dry and  not here in Minnesota, we still have snow on the ground and ice, but I know in Nebraska it's been really dry. Typical Midwesterners, we open up our conversations with discussions of weather and then possibly what we're eating and if we have  recently bought anything on sale.  I always try to open my podcast and my other podcast and this one with the weather because we're all affected by it. 00:57 100%. And I feel like it joins us all together. It is very bright and shiny here today. There's a light breeze. It was 40 degrees when I got up at 4 a.m. 40 degrees at 4 a.m. On January what 13th? I bought myself one three years ago. I bought myself one of those lights to use in the wintertime because my office is in the basement with no windows. 01:23 And it occurred to me that I haven't even pulled it out and used it one time this winter. That's because I've been able to be outdoors every day this winter for the most part. So that just speaks to what kind of winter it has been.  And I put myself on a high quality vitamin D supplement as recommended by my doctor.  But I'm a big advocate of those lights if you don't have them and taking time to sit in your south facing windows during the day, especially if you're a very pale midwesterner.  But yes, I have not had to use my light at all. 01:52 Yeah, I just started taking vitamin D because I was at, I was below the lowest recommended number in my blood work.  And my doctor said that most people who hail from a  European descent, especially Northern European descent, sometimes carry a below  average level year round, but especially in those darker, longer winter months and  checking the vitamin D level is not on your typical panel  for your annual 02:22 you sometimes have to ask for it. So  while we're not talking necessarily about wellness today, I know it goes back to our conversations last week.  Ask for your vitamin D to be checked  and talk with your doctor about  what level you should look for. Vitamin D levels are directly linked to so many things, one of them being your mental health and wellbeing. So definitely get that vitamin D level checked. 02:48 Oh, for sure. And if you can afford it, if you have good health insurance or if you just happen to have the money to pay for it,  ask for every test you can get when they take your blood because they're going to take four vials anyway. They might as well test for everything.  And a lot of those tests are becoming more affordable. I see these pop-ups on social media for  other things that can be screened for, including some food sensitivities.  And I  mean, as much as many of us don't want to know the answers, some of those things. 03:17 I think there's a lot of great opportunity out there for us to  do more discovery on what is working and not working for each of us. I'm really happy to see more work done on the, just because something says it's normal doesn't really mean it falls  in what is considered healthy ranges, especially with our  hormones and whatnot. And the more you know, the more you can advocate for yourself and  take care and feel as good as you can. 03:46 Yes, I always say the more you know, the more you know. Because it's true. And it's fun to say it because people just laugh.  And it doesn't mean that there's a pill for it. Like a vitamin D supplement is not a prescription, it's not another pill.  There are things you can achieve through changing your diet and exercise and  other self-care that doesn't require a prescription. So this is just not a big advocate  message for big pharmacy, but it is for self-care. 04:15 Oh yeah, absolutely. If you don't take care of yourself, you can't get anything done. So that's why I do it.  All right. So last week was a very heavy week here in Minnesota with a lady that got shot by an ICE agent.  And  I talked with Leah last week about it in private because I was very, very sad about it.  And I finally talked to my dad about it on Saturday, I think. And he said, are you able to talk without crying? And I said, yes.  And he said, honey, he said, 04:45 things are gonna get worse before they get better. And I said, oh, well, that's really positive. And he said, I can't lie to you. He said, things are gonna get worse before they get better.  And I said, okay.  And again, as I've said, my dad is one of the most level-headed men I know. He is one of the most patient men I know.  And he is  the best at putting himself in other people's shoes so he can understand their perspective.  So if my dad is saying it's gonna get worse before it gets better, 05:13 It's probably going to get worse before it gets better.  It was a rough week and it's,  it's, it's getting worse. There's been a ton of protests here. Um, people have been tear gassed. They have been pushed and knocked over. They have been arrested.  And I don't really want to get into politics on this because I don't know enough to sound like I know what I'm talking about, but 05:40 What I realized this morning when I woke up is the reason that all of this is making me so sad and so frustrated  is because I was brought up in a home where love thy neighbor was a big thing. And I feel like we have stopped loving our neighbors.  Well, first of all, I'm so grateful for you.  I love the state of Minnesota. I have many, many dear connections in the state of Minnesota, a beautiful state. 06:09 full of wonderful people  and industry and tourism and beauty.  And I'm so sorry for your state, as another friend said to me. You know, typically you love to hear the name of your state in the news, but not so much,  you know, not so much right now.  And also, I'm so thankful that you living parents that you're able to pick up the phone and call.  For me personally, when, especially when hard things come, 06:38 I'm so, so, so thankful for people that I can pick up the phone and call, or I can visit who are always there to listen and be discerning  and sometimes just let me talk and listen and then able to read me and know if they're just there to listen or if I'm looking for affirmation or feedback or help and guidance.  So I'm so glad you have that. 07:07 Me too, because I am not young, but my dad is older than me and he knows more than I do and I trust his opinions. So it's really nice to be able to know that I have someone to vent to if I need to. And he's always saying, you call whenever you want, honey. And I'm like, yeah, I'm going to call you at two o'clock in the morning. No, I'm not doing that. He has seen a lot of things and he has lived a lot of things. He has. he's, again, he's very level. 07:37 and really considerate and level-headed and considerate make it so much easier for me to believe in what he's telling me.  Because if he was a hothead I'd be like, well you're just being over the top again, but he's not like that at all. uh It really helps. So I don't want to talk about all the politics of this. It all sucks. That's all I have to say about it. uh 08:06 The situation with immigration right now is impacting agriculture and it's really impacting women  agriculture, so we thought we'd talk about it.  Yes, there are some very interesting statistics regarding labor within agriculture.  And it's easy for us who work in production agriculture to be very focused through our own lenses, which are  what are our struggles, what are our opportunities, what are our challenges. 08:36 and labor struggles within the farming and ranching areas of the Midwest, the Great Plains,  have been problematic for a long time. um That's because we walk this very fine line  on  what we call our family operations between what we can do ourselves,  coupled with trying to be profitable, uh taking on more risk, and then recognizing when you fall short and being able to get the labor all taken care of. 09:05 And as time has gone along, finding the kind of labor that we need for assistance has been more challenging, much more challenging.  Sometimes it's as simple as recognizing that people are much more um able to be on the go or on the move than they used to be. um People pick up and move and move to new jobs, new opportunities more often versus the old days where people would  put down roots and stay for a while. 09:31 But in doing research for our conversation today, looking at where our immigrant  labor has been such a  huge piece in the backbone of our agricultural industry, we really look to the seasonal needs  for agriculture across this country.  And that goes particularly to the needs of our fresh produce  that we rely on, that we cherish. 09:58 in this country and our abilities to grow our fruits and vegetables  in the United States.  And unfortunately, through a whole bunch of challenges that are far beyond our labor issues in this country,  we all know all you got to do is look at labels that we're importing more and more produce all the time.  So what's an American farmer supposed to do? We have the labor  challenges that resulted in 10:27 looking to immigrant labor and it has for a long time. This is not a new situation. Right. Yes. Here comes the challenges  of  the immigration rules  and lack thereof of processes and systems that have worked.  You know, though,  if you watch sensational headlines, you might be led to believe that it's a  massive issue and we're talking millions and millions and millions of 10:56 what you call illegal immigrants in the United States, laboring in agriculture, and it's not estimated in 2022 was only 4.8 % of the workforce total, but over about a third when it comes to agriculture or farm workers. And some will say, well, why so many? This falls on the United States government in so many ways. 11:25 And I will lose listeners, I will lose followers, and I will lose consumers  because we have a  major,  major values system problem in this country.  Our value system has been focused around cheap food for a very long time.  And  so what the US government did was try to pump in money to subsidize 11:53 the food industries to keep food cheap  and farm owners  look for cheap labor to keep the price of production cheap. And so what they do, they started paying people under the table, providing  avenues  to get temporary illegal help from other countries. When I say illegal, I just mean they're coming and helping  and not doing their paperwork.  created a disastrous system. 12:24 Meanwhile,  we're still losing ground. Selling farms can't be profitable, can't keep up with paying taxes. We have,  I mean, we could talk for days on end about this.  And who loses? We all lose. We all lose. And I have never met an immigrant myself who came here looking for more than true opportunity that was better than where they came from. 12:55 Yeah. And, and I'm going to say this too. mean,  everybody has the potential to do good or bad. And it's not just immigrants that do things that are criminally related. There are very few immigrants who are considered to be criminals. I mean, there are, there are Americans who do bad things and get arrested and have due process and either go to jail or don't. 13:24 It just, bothers me so much that people are like, oh, well, they're from Mexico, so they must not be good people. And I'm like, um, they are people first.  what we have is. 13:40 for 30 years now, gosh, time gets away. have politicians take headlines and sensationalize them, use talking points and sound bites as simply a way to swing voters to opportune, I don't know that's a word, take advantage of situations, hit people against each other. And we have solved nothing. We've absolutely solved nothing. In fact, 14:10 If you look at the statistics, because  in my opinion, this all falls on the hands of  every party that's ever been in office.  The systems in place have failed people right and left, regardless of who's in office. I don't care about stats. I don't care about numbers. The bottom line is the responsibilities fall on all. We have a perfect disaster. Today, the choice is to blame this administration  for the situation we're in, the way it's being managed. 14:40 But historically, it falls on everyone. I tend to choose to lean conservatively, but  I am not without doing my darnedest to step back and look at the big picture here. I have very good friends who came here illegally. They are proud U.S. citizens now. And when they describe to me how hard it was to become Americans, it makes me sick to my stomach. 15:09 It should never have taken 11 years.  What kind of,  and I've worked for the government, so I'm not surprised  by our conversations about the USDA this morning.  What kind of efficiency is that?  It's not. So are you surprised when people say, I'm gonna take the quote, the easier way, which is to come in the back door and not do things that with. 15:36 the correct way, it's because our entire system is broken. And my problem today is  instead of focusing on taking these resources and going and extricating and throwing people out and not considering the ramifications and the ripple effects,  which I got to see firsthand and hear firsthand from some children who have been affected by these things, not just now. 16:03 but over the last whole generation of things shared with me is that's not a fix. That is  a headline to put on TV and make people clap their hands or scream in horror,  but it doesn't inspire change.  It doesn't make people feel better. It doesn't do anything for tomorrow. What we need is a sit down comprehensive work plan, pulling people together and say,  we do have a problem. We have so many broken things. 16:32 let's begin to figure this out together and make it make sense because this doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense to me.  Yeah, the problem is the together part because nobody is together in our government right now.  It  isn't that heartbreaking because 16:52 If someone came here, and there are plenty of arguments, well, they came here to take advantage or take from or take what we have and take and give of,  most people who have immigrated here that I know are not living better than I am. um The ones who I know are not demanding that I change to accommodate them, they would like to be included. 17:20 And there are, you know, you always hear about the bad apples, so to speak, and the tough situations. So can tell you some really heartwarming stories from two young women in particular  who were not born here and whose parents were not born here.  That they're both on track to become first generation college students.  Nice.  And they both want to  earn it,  Mary. Yeah.  And they're both 17:50 celebrating and their parents are celebrating their freedom and ability to truly become self-made young ladies.  And they  also believe that others need to come out of  the shadows, step forward and say, 18:10 Okay, we haven't been doing things the way the rules say, can we help work together to figure out how to rework these rules and make this possible for us because it seems too hard, too far. And now what we have is a culture of fear.  People are afraid to do the right thing because of what they're seeing on television. Yeah. Everybody loses today. I mean, I just. 18:37 everybody loses.  is why we're talking about this in a public way. Yes.  And I'm not going to tell you that I'm  excited to talk about this. I'm not excited to have people tell my parents that they're, you know, disappointed in me and they're unfollowing me. That's what happens when you live in a small town.  Or that I'm on the wrong side of things. I got called a radical this morning already for something else.  People with their name calling, aren't they precious? 19:07 Um, I'm an American  and I'm, I love my country. I'm proud of my country.  believe in rules and regulations  and systems of order.  Uh, but what we have isn't working. We have to put some really thoughtful, intelligent work, just like every other major issue that's going on right now. Things are not working well.  And. 19:36 They're not going to until everyone takes off their pack, as my granddad would say, and say, I am not here with an agenda. I am here because  I want things to work well for everyone who is proud to call themselves an American, who wants to work hard, pay taxes, be safe, have clean drinking water, work hard, have a retirement plan.  Just be a good citizen. It's just  so frustrating to me. 20:05 And this relates to agriculture because in spite of all of the technology and automation and systems, we are losing our farms  because we don't have enough laborers. don't have apparently Americans willing to do some of this work, which is separate from the wage issues themselves. The wage issues are a huge problem. 20:30 I don't want to be beholden to other countries for my fresh produce. Sure, the stuff that doesn't grow here, but I will not sit by and hear people say, well, we can just import all of our almonds. We can import all of our lettuce and oranges if we can't get enough workers. It's just so wrong on all levels. Absolutely. And I am  an utter coffee fiend and you can't grow  coffee. 21:01 in the United States. I know they grow it in Hawaii, but that's not connected to the United States.  is a state, but it's not connected to  the whole United States. And I don't want to give up coffee, so I'm very happy that we import coffee. But the day that I can't grow tomatoes in my garden and I have to import them from somewhere else to get them is going to be a very sad day.  No, I don't want that. And I certainly don't want to be, I mean, I hope to see 80. 21:31 But if I see 80 and I want tomatoes, I want to be able to grow them from the cute couple down the road who have taken up where we left off.  And the work is backbreaking. The work is hard. The work is self, it requires selfless giving. I am very bothered and this is a bigger conversation than where labor is coming from. I am very bothered by the number of Americans. 21:59 who chose to turn up their noses  at picking lettuce and harvesting tomatoes and said, why don't you get migrant workers to do it instead? Like that's a whole other conversation. I am very bothered by that because that requires  generations of families turning up their noses at what I call honorable work. So that's one whole conversation.  And secondly,  I don't care. 22:27 who is doing it, they deserve to be paid an appropriate wage for it. So if that means you've got to pay in the grocery store the price that is  appropriate, it means you need to rework your value system and understand that American farmers and all of the people who support them to make that crop get to your grocery store shelf, deserve to be paid what 22:54 is required to be profitable so they can stay in business. 23:00 It's just mind boggling to me that we're having this conversation here  and I do not look to Europe for guidance on much of anything because they have their own host of a lot of problems. The whole world has its own sets of problems, believe me. But this country's value system of valuing cheap food and expensive toys and entertainment is a problem for me. It is. 23:29 Well, yes,  of course it is  because toys are something that is gratuitous. It's something that you that you quote unquote play with. Food is necessary.  And again,  I have had so many people say, your life is so rosy and beautiful. I never considered that you needed to make a profit. I just thought you so intrinsically 23:58 loved what you do that you're satisfied to break even.  Breaking even doesn't mean we can expand and grow more. It doesn't mean I can give raises. It doesn't mean I can hire more qualified help. It's just  so important that we have these conversations about where our values lie in this country. I'm just really passionate about it because 24:25 The pushback that I get tells me it runs deeper and wider than I thought, which means it's multi-generational.  I fall  into the trap myself when I shrug  off purchasing things at the grocery store thinking of, goodness, why is this so expensive? And  the whole conversation about the corporate middle people really being the ones who profit and not the producers are the ones who are profiting. But the ripple effects are deep and wide. 24:54 They go into every facet of agriculture. um Immigrant labor supports a ton of the dairy industry. Again, another area that is labor intensive and has had a ton of Americans turn up their noses at doing that work.  We would be really in trouble without them. so we have to have better avenues of helping our immigrants have a good pathway into this country when they're coming here to do work that seemingly Americans won't do. 25:23 And some are saying, you know, deport the illegal immigrants. Americans will pick up the slack. Are they really going to? Cause  I, I mean, I'd love to believe that again, that's back to this value system, but I'm not seeing evidence of that.  don't think most Americans would have any idea how to pick up the slack  on that. Yeah.  And that's again, that's a bigger conversation and it's, it's just. 25:52 It's so sad to me. A lot of that is so sad to me. um Without becoming too personal, because I don't have permission to speak about a couple of these young ladies. The one of them,  her parents do not have glamorous jobs.  They're very, very blue collar,  but they live debt free because they've chosen to be very industrious and very intelligent and thoughtful with how they run their family and the children work. 26:18 as well and they're very involved students and good students too.  But I was asking her just last night  as she was telling me about being set to become the first generation college student and her plan for how to make that happen. um It's just it's how she was raised. So it tells you these conversations have to become generational. I'm so thankful for how I was raised.  I am not better than my neighbor. 26:47 I am not better than a listener out there going,  sound self-righteous that you've got it all figured out. Believe me, I don't have it all figured out. uh But these, know that change is hard. It is hard.  And throwing Band-Aids on things like this USDA report we talked about this morning and um the broken systems  in the food system itself and immigration and taxes and healthcare. 27:15 We cannot survive if we just keep putting band-aids on. We have to rip the whole band-aid, all of the band-aids off and we've got to start over because things get to where there's so much in disrepair. You can't fix them anymore. You have to start over. That's what our founders did. And then they rebuilt and they re-tacked and they recognized they had to and that is where we are at. Yeah. Leah. 27:43 Have you ever been at like a yard sale and somebody has a bag of necklaces that they've gathered over the years and it's going to cost you a dollar  to buy that bag of necklaces. But  once you get at home, have to unknot all the chains that have knotted together over the years. Yeah. And people don't buy them because they don't want to do the work. That's the picture in my head of where we're at with everything that's going on right now. 28:11 Yes. And then you find a young lady who  did such a thing with her grandma's jewelry. And what she did was she took the needle nose pliers and disconnected all of the pendants and the brooches  and turned them into a beautiful Christmas tree on a felt background and had it framed to hang on the wall. So the whole point of me bringing up the bag of necklaces is that  it's a mess right now, but you can find a way 28:41 to  un-mess it, which is not a real word, but it is now,  and make it into something beautiful that works. oh And I have so much compassion for who I call innocent bystanders  of all of these things, especially when they become the flash point, then they have cameras on their faces, they're being interviewed, they're under the microscope. And let me be very clear,  when emotions are running high, 29:09 On every side, people say and do things that later on  oftentimes regret, but don't have an opportunity to apologize, to clarify, or anything else.  I caution people. I never knew my great grandfather, but my dad told me his best advice was in  the old days where he was helping shape some policy that had to do with bringing electricity 29:39 to Nebraska, which was controversial, if you can believe that.  can.  People were afraid that electricity would make people lazy. That when you had to say hard things or you had an emotional response, write it down, put it away a couple of days, then revisit it and then say, would I really say that out loud? And now because of cameras and social media, people are not given that grace. It's instantaneous. 30:09 And that gives instantaneous responses and it is not a good look. Generally human beings are not equipped to handle it well at all. And so I've just really, really had to filter how much I take in because I don't feel good about what it does to me.  And I also don't want to lessen offering some grace  and using discernment and backing away because when these flashpoints happen. 30:37 And we've seen things flame and flame, like, you're not going to convince me that there's not money being made  off of emotional responses to situations. And that money oftentimes lands in hands that really don't have invested interest in anything except making money. em I hate that kind of stuff. I despise it. So I just caution people to try to step away and use some discernment and don't let yourself get sucked in. 31:06 too much because it can be really hard on you. Yeah, my parents gave me two,  I don't know, coping mechanisms when it came to opening my mouth and saying things back when I was teenager. And the first one was count to 10 before you open your mouth.  And I do that to this day. If I'm thinking something and I'm like,  I count to 10 and that gives me time to think about how I want to frame. 31:34 what's going to come out of my face  so that maybe it won't be hurtful or destructive.  And the second thing was they always said to me, it's better to keep your mouth shut and be thoughtful  than to open it and remove all doubt.  So I try to hang on to that one too. Yes. 100%. I pinch my thumb and my pointer finger. pinch them together on both hands. That's what I do. 32:02 And I had a very sharp tongue as a teenager  and I suffered from  massive foot and mouth disease.  I was constantly saying things and being like, I never should have said that out loud.  So to this day, I try to remember the two  tools they gave me to not have my foot in my mouth all the time. 32:27 I think I'm better than I used to be. I hope so. Cause it was very bad when I was 13 to 15.  Yes.  And as I wrote about yesterday, when I realized from a totally unrelated issue that I got caught up in some AI video, what should be terrifying to  all of us.  And I did some more reading on this last night  was the amount of AI video being created. First of all, 32:55 It's not being created in the United States,  but it's being pumped into the United States  and it's the wild west.  is, there are efforts underway to try to get some legislation  created that says these online platforms must label video as AI generated because there isn't currently,  but the AI tools are now becoming so good that videos are being created right and left that are 33:26 throwing  more fuel  on volatile situations. Case in point, um this wasn't what I got caught in. There was a devastating series of waves that hit the Homer, Alaska area in December.  And AI video created in an Asian country was used and created additional videos that portrayed even more devastating effects than what happened. 33:55 there were devastating effects. Like real is always bad enough, right?  But it caused additional unnecessary panic.  So the lesson for all of us is  if you're going to take in the news, this was my caution yesterday, I'm in a place now where I just don't feel like you can trust any video you're watching. And what a sad thing for me to say because I love, that was my major was video journalism broadcasting. 34:23 Until we have some legislation or some kind of oversight, I don't recommend watching videos on the internet.  I hate saying that. I sound like a conspiracy theorist,  but legitimately  it happened to me and I feel like I have a pretty discerning eye.  It is happening. There are other players in other countries who love nothing more than a divided, broken America. That is a fact.  And 34:50 If you're taking in news and you're trying to gain actual real knowledge of a situation, you have got to think of other ways to gather that. Even if it requires more energy from you, you're going to have to pick up the phone. You're going to have to go there. You're going to have to call local news sources  because what you're watching on the internet, especially a social media platform cannot be trusted at all.  And again, I sound like a lunatic saying that out loud, but it's 35:17 It is absolutely true.  There was more had to do with wildfire. He was fake, Mary. And the tools they're using are getting so good. You don't know that it's not real. Yep. I think that we have to take everything we see on social media for sure with a grain of salt.  it happened so fast. Like, you know, last year I'm thinking  we're three to five years away. 35:45 And here it's January and here we're in it already. And um I hope that our,  and why do we have to have legislation to make people do the right thing?  hate that, but especially I'm very concerned for our more vulnerable populations, elderly, young people. um Some people I think. 36:10 Their self-preservation may need to be as simple as I'm just going to have to unplug altogether because I can't trust any of it. Isn't that so sad? It's disheartening, I think is a good word for it. You know? And there's a phrase, trust but verify. Trust but verify would probably be a good phrase for 2026. Yeah. And here's my pledge. 36:38 Leah Peterson, your Clear Creek Ranch mom pledged, will not use AI to tell you anything. The only time I use it as a tool to help to be a researcher, investigate, but anything I share with you will be in my own words, with my own images, real, vulnerable, honest, raw. I won't do that to you because real, authentic, 37:03 transparent life  is as good as it gets and none of us should want fake. We've spent too many years believing  that fake is better and it is not  and it will not serve us well in any efforts to bring people together.  No,  no it will not. And I'm starting to feel really sad now. We were doing so good and now I'm like, meh. So,  so 37:33 The things that we can do right now regarding the whole  immigration fiasco  is we can be nice  to our neighbors.  We can check on our neighbors. We can help our neighbors. There are people in Minneapolis and St. Paul right now  who are running errands for people who are afraid to leave their homes because they're afraid they're going to be stolen by ICE. 38:01 Real, authentic, vulnerable, honest, getting out, talking with your neighbors, being a good citizen, being in community with one another, praying for one another, being fearless and brave, showing up, doing the things a good citizen does,  asking more of your elected representatives,  asking questions, making phone calls, writing letters, asking for response. 38:27 Most of our state uh unicameral or  bodies of government, they're in session.  Their job is to be accountable to you.  This is not a government that belongs to someone else. This is our government.  We pay for these people to do their jobs, be it your local, your state, or your federal.  They are accountable to you. It is their obligation to be responsive to you.  I encourage you to be thoughtful in your questions, to be courteous and respectful. 38:55 It is their obligation to be responsive to you. They are accountable to you.  And more people need to practice that communication.  One of my jobs as a undergrad, as an intern for a state legislature was to open the mail.  Oh, Mary, it was the highlight of my day  because my state senator got these lovely handwritten letters all the time.  And at that time, you could watch the unicameral on public television in the afternoon. 39:24 And it could be everything from a sweet old lady complimenting his suit and  tie to very, very critical uh commentary about how he was voting on a bill, for instance,  and his wife was fighting cancer at the time as well.  So there was questions about that. But there was only one time did I see something that was threatening, you might call, but not enough to merit  escalation. uh 39:51 people acted with decorum and thoughtfulness, even when they wanted to ask hard questions and say disagree,  disagreeing things.  We have got to get back to that place. This is not working for us.  And I am asking  all Americans to set a better example because your little people are watching  a social media person in Minnesota, Mary, who I really enjoy. 40:18 was sharing their local school district was forced to remove the main access doors to their public bathrooms in their school because the children will not respect the property and then closing other bathrooms and denying access. That is no way to live. We have got to do better as a nation. I am just, I am begging. We are capable of better. This is 40:46 This is unacceptable and our little people are watching  and they will follow our example. is far past time to change how we treat one another.  could not agree more.  That's all I got. I could not agree more with you. Well, to give you some heartening snapshots of my Saturday was spent in my first speech meet  hundreds of students. 41:15 I think we had 12 schools there in a community that has been hit hard by the announcement of losing a massively huge employer  happening at the end of this month. The children there, including the speech team from that community that's affected by this loss of so many jobs, had the best time together, taking pictures, playing cards, doing improv, karaoke, and trivia. uh 41:46 questions to a show they're all apparently teenagers are watching a show called Stranger Things.  Yes. Having fun together. That had nothing to do with their performances, which were amazing and fabulous. And I laughed and I cried. uh A young man from our school did a serious interpretation of Where the Red Fern Grows.  That movie gets me every time.  Yeah. 42:14 a hilarious entertainment speech about how you achieve a fashion glow up at your local Dollar General store. Oh, cute. It was the best day and these children are every creed and color  and they just had the best day together. And I walked out of that school at the end of the day, feeling like there was hope for our future. That's what kids do. 42:41 That's what good kids do. They make you feel like, oh, not everything sucks. I'd like to turn over the government to them because I found myself thinking  there's no problem that they could not solve by working together. Uh huh.  Well, honestly, there's no problem that all of us can't solve by working  together. Together is the key word today on this episode. Together we can make things better.  I agree. 43:08 We just have to get over ourselves, don't we?  We just have to  stop and think and consider  what we want the world to be instead of being so angry about what the world is.  Part of me thinks that if  all of the TV and all of the radio and all of the internet access were to shut down for about two weeks on the other side of that, 43:35 actually feel like a good bit of this could have been taken care of  because it would require us to get out there and be with one another and talk through these things  and would be the end of propagandizing a bunch of issues and you'd find out that people generally are just people.  absolutely.  All right, well, that's about as  positive as I think we can make the end of this. 44:01 Leah, it's always a joy to get to dig into this stuff with you. I appreciate it. And to those who are listening to the podcast, we appreciate you taking the time to listen to us. We do. Hang in there, Minnesota, for all of you who are out there. We care about you. We care about all of you across this great country. We are all in this together and appreciate you being here. 44:26 And the website is now live. It is gritandgraceandtheheartland.com. And there is a blog post for every episode. And you can actually listen to the episode on the player below the blog post. So that makes things a little easier for people. I love that function. It makes me so happy. I'm really a geek at heart, Leah, just so you know. Yes, you are. Totally, completely. All right. In the meantime, have some grit and grace.