Today marks my first visit to Sheldon, IA in 28 years (it's my city of birth). I decided a few months ago to make the pilgrimage out here to check out my roots. Steve Mays once called Iowa a "very wired, progressive state" in his blog and I didn't believe him at first. However, I'm finding that to be very true the more I explore:
1. Upon entry into Sheldon, I noticed what's playing at a small movie theater (see pic).
2. After checking into a very creepy roach motel (where I'm writing this) I asked the front desk girl if they had a computer somewhere with an internet connection. She looked at me strangely and said, "Dear, there's free high-speed Wi-Fi in every room." They still don't provide that in most New York City hotels.
3. I was driving on an old country road and stopped to talk with an elderly woman. I asked her if there were any local publications that dealt with real estate. She also looked at me strangely and said, "Dear, just Google "Sheldon real estate" and I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for."
4. I had a beer and burger a few minutes ago at a local bar. A country boy saw me typing on my Blackberry and said, "Hey boy...that's the old 7250 right? I got the new one here!" He then proceeded to pull out a new Blackberry model (with his grease-stained hands) that only one of my coworkers in Washington, DC has.
The residents of this 5,000-person town are just as tech-savvy as some bohemian creep in an LA coffee shop. No shit.
Random pics: one of KIWA, my dad's first radio gig (I'm taking the GM out for lunch tomorrow afternoon). The other is of the long road winding into Sheldon.
