25 Apr, 2020
Mike Bellmore has been writing regularly as part of a dream we have to start a writing club at LB Homes. Mike came to Fergus Falls years ago. The community helped Mike find a renewed passion for life and a spiritual connection that he was looking for.
We can forget the value of community sometimes, especially one as unique and special as Fergus Falls. Here's a little story to give you some good feelings that community is important and life changing. There have been and are great things happening as we continue to build this community. Take heart that our residents appreciate being a part of such a special community.
--
When I turned left onto Highway 2 at the Hardee's corner in Devils Lake and headed east toward Grand Forks, little did I realize I would never return to the community I had called home for the past 40 years.
But I had time to reflect on the wonderful and not-so-wonderful things I had experienced in North Dakota - and the many memories I would treasure forever; after all, it was about a 3-hour drive that was ahead of me.
I was leaving on terms that were not very pleasant and will go unmentioned here, but I kept telling myself that I had stayed too long anyway, and it was past time that I moved on. I knew that I had done many positive things while in Devils Lake - many that folks will never know about, and I felt good about that.
My first stop was in Fargo where my folks resided at the time. After spending a few days there we headed for Fergus Falls where my sister lived. I soon joined the YMCA where I met new people and had a lot of fun. One friend I made was Father Greg Pafel. He was the Pastor at OLV here in Fergus and was instrumental in leading me back to the church.
I felt good about going to church again because I had been away from it for a long time. I was raised in a catholic family and began to realize if I had made that decision years ago, maybe some better things would have come my way.
But thanks to a lot of very nice people here in Fergus Falls, I feel I've straightened my life out and seem to be headed in the right direction now. I've had to weather quite a few health problems, including some skin cancer from top of my head and a couple bouts with Pneumonia, but I believe I'll be OK.
I've worked long and hard to regain the use of my legs. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm hoping to ditch that wheelchair soon.
