Trying To Make NoMi Converts At The Jordan Community Garden...

Photo By John Hoff

Yesterday, Jeff and I were on the way to dinner with delightful female friends, and as we drove past the Jordan Community Garden on 26th Ave. N., we saw a couple young guys in suits and ties, walking around with paperwork in their hand and taking pictures. Right away I told Jeff, "Pull over. Let's see who they are." I added, "Yeah, I know we're in Jordan, but we look out for Jordan, too, right?"

This is what "Pro City" people do. When we see what look to be public officials we ask their business, we find out what is up, information is conveyed, business cards exchanged...

So we approached. I saw slight nervousness on the face of one of the young men, so I waved with my hand, in the age-old custom: "See, I come with an empty hand and intend no harm."

As we got close, I saw the name tags and it told me all I needed to know: Elder This And Elder That. They were Mormon missionaries.

I explained that Jeff and I are neighborhood activists, and it is our custom to walk up when we see people who seem to be involved in city business. I explained we were not in our own neighborhood at the moment--which is Hawthorne--but rather we were in the Jordan Neighborhood literally wearing our Hawthorne affiliation.

After telling the Mormon missionaries a bit about neighborhood history and housing issues, we went into The Pitch: all of North Minneapolis (NoMi) is dramatically turning around, and home prices could not be lower. Jeff went into some whole thing about the precise amounts of money needed to buy a home and finance some fixes.

The Mormon missionaries could not get a word in edgewise. They had no opportunity to make converts, because we were too busy making NoMi converts out of THEM.