What does a recent transplant from NYC to Waco, Texas, notice? For one thing, the number of people she recognizes and knows as she goes through her day has gone way up. These relationships are known as second-ring relationships, those with people who are not yet friends, but they’re not strangers either. And it’s on the strength of these relationships that communities can measure their potential.
In a place like Minot, where these types of relationships are the standard, we should ask if we’re capitalizing on this strength.