one of Minnesota's top broadcasters in the 1980s/90s currently sits in a room in Maple Grove where the running water has been cut to the sinks
she doesnt have a phone, shes only allowed out with supervision
she has a TV that mostly stays off
3 meals/day are delivered
🧵1/?
she doesnt have a phone, shes only allowed out with supervision
she has a TV that mostly stays off
3 meals/day are delivered
🧵1/?
you used to go to the State Fair to see her on stage
just another person in the crowd watching her speak for 2 hrs straight on various topics w/o a mistake
she'd be a regular person on the drive down
and something else entirely on that stage when the little red dot lit up
just another person in the crowd watching her speak for 2 hrs straight on various topics w/o a mistake
she'd be a regular person on the drive down
and something else entirely on that stage when the little red dot lit up
she had a gift from God
u were just a kid, but u knew that much
u were just a kid, but u knew that much
she did monthly live shows around the state
carte-blanche to pick the subject and location
in the summer, she’d let you come to her soundproof studio on the college campus in town
shed bring her notes and go into the small padded room with the big mic and whirring machines
carte-blanche to pick the subject and location
in the summer, she’d let you come to her soundproof studio on the college campus in town
shed bring her notes and go into the small padded room with the big mic and whirring machines
she’d come out with a spool of film
she’d load it, listen back, slice the film with a box cutter, tape it back together
she stay with it for hours
re-recording, re-arranging, re-wording, re-conceiving, one room to the other
when it sounded right to her, we were out the door
she’d load it, listen back, slice the film with a box cutter, tape it back together
she stay with it for hours
re-recording, re-arranging, re-wording, re-conceiving, one room to the other
when it sounded right to her, we were out the door
in the early 1980s, a plane crashed in town late at night
a snowstorm affected visibility, and the pilot came in too hot onto an icy tarmac
she received word and was immediately out the door with her silver recording machine, her microphone with the long cord plugged in
a snowstorm affected visibility, and the pilot came in too hot onto an icy tarmac
she received word and was immediately out the door with her silver recording machine, her microphone with the long cord plugged in
her husband followed her into the cold garage, volunteering to drive on account of the conditions
she agreed
she figured he might be of some help with the recording equipment
she agreed
she figured he might be of some help with the recording equipment
she spoke to rattled passengers in the tiny airport
she used the payphone to call in an initial report
she was approached by a cop
he asked if she’d been interviewing passengers
she said yes, and pulled out her credentials
he asked her to hand over the tape
she said, “No”
she used the payphone to call in an initial report
she was approached by a cop
he asked if she’d been interviewing passengers
she said yes, and pulled out her credentials
he asked her to hand over the tape
she said, “No”
her nervous husband whispered that maybe she should
with her eyes trained on the officer, she forcefully whispered one word back over her shoulder: “No"
the officer didnt have his handcuffs, so he grabbed her by the arm and led her into the cold, loading her into his squad car
with her eyes trained on the officer, she forcefully whispered one word back over her shoulder: “No"
the officer didnt have his handcuffs, so he grabbed her by the arm and led her into the cold, loading her into his squad car
10 mins down the road, the cars comms squawked
the sheriffs voice filled the car: “Is Rachel Reabe in your car?”
“yes, sir." the cop said she hadnt handed over her tape
the sheriff screamed “What in the hell are you doing? Turn around, return her, and apologize to that woman"
the sheriffs voice filled the car: “Is Rachel Reabe in your car?”
“yes, sir." the cop said she hadnt handed over her tape
the sheriff screamed “What in the hell are you doing? Turn around, return her, and apologize to that woman"
a decade + change later, MPR asked her to host its marquee morning show
the opportunity of her career
it meant a big raise
and that shed have to move to the Twin Cities to record in the downtown studio
she said no
they gave her a week longer to think
she said no again
the opportunity of her career
it meant a big raise
and that shed have to move to the Twin Cities to record in the downtown studio
she said no
they gave her a week longer to think
she said no again
she knew that all additional work hours added would be subtracted from time with her kids
she also had no interest in moving them
she profusely thanked them for the offer, and reiterated that she would not be changing her mind
she also had no interest in moving them
she profusely thanked them for the offer, and reiterated that she would not be changing her mind
besides, she enjoyed her niche up north
she got to work with her friend Leif
he was writing a book called "Peace Like a River"
she was the 1st person to read every chapter
it became a NY Times best-seller
leif called her edits "salt and light" in the acknowledgements
she got to work with her friend Leif
he was writing a book called "Peace Like a River"
she was the 1st person to read every chapter
it became a NY Times best-seller
leif called her edits "salt and light" in the acknowledgements
these days, the biggest news in her world is the Chipotle recently-built outside her window — kitty-corner, in the parking lot of a Cub Foods
her favorite meal in the world is the Chipotle brown rice chicken burrito bowl
its like they built this specific Chipotle for her
her favorite meal in the world is the Chipotle brown rice chicken burrito bowl
its like they built this specific Chipotle for her
well, I should say, the 2nd biggest news in her world
she struggles to speak and remember — but she can do both when u tell her something important
she seems to have a special container in her mind she's hidden from the rest of the fallout
she struggles to speak and remember — but she can do both when u tell her something important
she seems to have a special container in her mind she's hidden from the rest of the fallout
when u were a kid, u wanted to read the sports section at breakfast like ur dad
every time u passed billboards, she read the words
her finger trailed over sentences when she read to u at nite so u could follow along
she read the sports to u and taught u how to sound out words
every time u passed billboards, she read the words
her finger trailed over sentences when she read to u at nite so u could follow along
she read the sports to u and taught u how to sound out words
when u started 1st grade, u were bored during reading lessons
she and her husband were called into the school
they were told that they had the option of putting u into the school across town with the advanced kids
she sat u down and explained this
she and her husband were called into the school
they were told that they had the option of putting u into the school across town with the advanced kids
she sat u down and explained this
then she said something peculiar: “this is your decision. tell your father and I what you’d like to do tomorrow.”
the next day, you told her you wanted to stay at the school you were at — you explained that all your friends were there
“and so you will,” she said
the next day, you told her you wanted to stay at the school you were at — you explained that all your friends were there
“and so you will,” she said
in middle school, you got assigned papers to write
u asked her if she’d edit them
she offered a deal
she’d edit them if she was allowed to explain to u the mistake that had been made and how to correct it
sometimes, this took an hour
u asked her if she’d edit them
she offered a deal
she’d edit them if she was allowed to explain to u the mistake that had been made and how to correct it
sometimes, this took an hour
u wanted to get downstairs to the Twins game, or play catch outside with ur friends
but she was insistent on this deal
she taught u what a run-on sentence was, and what a proper sentence should look like
she taught u punctuation
and about word choice
she taught you metaphor
but she was insistent on this deal
she taught u what a run-on sentence was, and what a proper sentence should look like
she taught u punctuation
and about word choice
she taught you metaphor
every time she said a word u did not know, u'd say, “what’s that mean?”
she’d give you the definition and use it in a sentence
she’d reach for the dictionary on the shelf above the computer if she couldn’t recite it exactly
she’d give you the definition and use it in a sentence
she’d reach for the dictionary on the shelf above the computer if she couldn’t recite it exactly
in high school, u were in the computer room with her
she slowly scrolled down ur paper for what seemed like an hour, saying nothing
u no longer did this with every paper but this was an important one for AP English
she slowly scrolled down ur paper for what seemed like an hour, saying nothing
u no longer did this with every paper but this was an important one for AP English
when she reached the bottom of the doc, she turned to u
she said: “I dont have a correction"
u turned the paper in
the teacher asked to see u after class
she said: “im nearing retirement. you're the most talented writer Ive ever taught. you will go as far as you want to go"
she said: “I dont have a correction"
u turned the paper in
the teacher asked to see u after class
she said: “im nearing retirement. you're the most talented writer Ive ever taught. you will go as far as you want to go"
u found her in the back when u got home, wearing her glasses, typing notes for her next show
she swung around when you entered
u told her what the teacher said
her eyes welled
she looked u deep in the eye and said: “Yes”
she swung around when you entered
u told her what the teacher said
her eyes welled
she looked u deep in the eye and said: “Yes”
U bounced around colleges at the start, got in trouble a few times
became an open-ended question as to whether u’d finish
few people believed in u
she didn’t speak to you like everybody else
she said the beginning and end were written, you'd know when to start on the middle
became an open-ended question as to whether u’d finish
few people believed in u
she didn’t speak to you like everybody else
she said the beginning and end were written, you'd know when to start on the middle
she still likes to go on walks
everything outside is so beautiful
but her absolute favorite thing is when u put one of ur shows on her TV
she’ll point at the screen and say, “Wow”
every time, its like she’s seeing u for the very first time with that red dot lit up
everything outside is so beautiful
but her absolute favorite thing is when u put one of ur shows on her TV
she’ll point at the screen and say, “Wow”
every time, its like she’s seeing u for the very first time with that red dot lit up
when the show is over, u always take her hand, and look her in the eye
u say: “mom, this is only possible because of u. u made me into this.”
she shakes her head no
u will say: “Yes”
u say: “mom, this is only possible because of u. u made me into this.”
she shakes her head no
u will say: “Yes”
mom is struggling
she deserved a better fate than Alzheimer’s
so did her father, but here we are
my mom is a devout Christian — she believed in the power of prayer
today I want to ask you to keep my mom in yours
/🧵
she deserved a better fate than Alzheimer’s
so did her father, but here we are
my mom is a devout Christian — she believed in the power of prayer
today I want to ask you to keep my mom in yours
/🧵
my memory was off on this one — i thought the sherif called the squad car on the way to the station. she was actually held in custody for an hour before the sherif stepped in.
my mom: all-time die-on-the-sword badass
my mom: all-time die-on-the-sword badass
i was dm’d this by a retired reporter in brainerd (the town we lived in)
classic mom!
classic mom!
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