When two whaling ships met out in the
ocean, they would exchange information in a session known as a gam.
Most of us today travel not by whaling ship, but by car, foot, bike
or ATV as the case may be. Now consider this scenario. Person “A”
is in a car or ATV, and stops to talk with person “B” who can be
moving in any sort of fashion. The first thing person “A” should
do is to turn off their motor. This is because leaving it running
pollutes, makes it hard to talk over the noise, and results in
getting zero MPG. If they are using a motor driven conveyance,
person “B” should do likewise. Typically, towards the end of the
conversation, person “A” will restart their engine, and let it
run while they get ready to leave. This is premature, as a Minnesota
Goodbye could potentially drag on for hours. Person “A” should
instead wait until all goodbyes have been said and person “B”
starts to leave before starting up their engine and proceeding on
their way.
Similarly, consider a group of
Minnesotans on a typical zero degree day. They are leaving a
restaurant. They step outside. The wind picks up. They start a
long conversation, and discuss what to do next. Frostbite sets in.
Couldn't this conversation have taken place before leaving shelter,
not after?
