Happy Tuesday beautiful otters, Spiess in the Morning broadcasting and podcasting from the spectacular studios next to the swamp in the heart of the North Star State.
Today is World Brain Day, and before you scroll on or dive into your fourth cup of gas station coffee, I want to talk about something that too often gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list—your brain.
That miraculous, misunderstood hunk of gray matter between your ears? It runs the whole show. Mood. Memory. Movement. Creativity. Sleep. All of it. And yet, we treat it like an afterthought. We plug it into screen after screen, feed it convenience and chaos, and wonder why we feel foggy, anxious, or uninspired.
World Brain Day isn't just for doctors and researchers—it’s a wake-up call for all of us. Especially in a time where burnout isn’t a buzzword anymore—it’s a baseline. It’s a reminder that mental health is health. And that every decision we make either sharpens or dulls the very tool we need to navigate life.
Now let’s talk food. Because, yes, brain food is real. Omega-3s, antioxidants, whole foods, hydration, minerals—these aren't just labels at the health store. They're fuel for clarity. Ammunition for resilience. And let’s be honest: we’ve been lied to before. Remember the old Food Pyramid? That corporate-carb-loaded tower of dysfunction brought to you by processed food lobbies and outdated science?
Turns out “six to eleven servings of bread and pasta a day” was less about your brain and more about the bottom line of big agri-business. No wonder we spent a couple decades sleepy, sluggish, and sugar-soaked.
But you can’t outsource your health. Not to a commercial. Not to a government guideline. Not even to a viral post with good aesthetics. You’ve got to feel your way through it. Learn what foods lift you up. Notice what drains you. Pay attention to how your brain responds to your habits, your environment, and even your relationships.
Your brain is listening to every decision you make.
So, on World Brain Day, maybe take a walk without your phone. Eat something green and real. Take a nap. Cut the doomscrolling. Hug someone safe. Read something slow. Write something messy. And for heaven’s sake, drink some water—did you know water isn’t just for making coffee? I am still learning one that daily.
This is Spiess in the Morning, reminding myself and anyone listening that if your brain is the most important organ in your body, then today’s the day to start treating it like it matters. Because when the head clears, the heart can finally speak.
Spiess in the Morning broadcasting and podcasting from the land where the loons outnumber the voters, where the reflections run deeper than the water and sometimes the truth needs a paddle to reach.
Next, I want to talk about something that’s becoming harder and harder to ignore—the enabling of narcissists. Not just tolerating them, but fueling them. Celebrating them. Even electing, following, and idolizing them.
And here’s the real kicker: we’re helping them grow—one click, like, and blind cheer at a time.
Narcissism isn't new. History books are littered with golden thrones and silver tongues. From emperors to CEOs, we’ve always had folks who crave the spotlight more than they care about the substance. But back then, you needed charisma, wealth, or conquest to reach the masses.
Now? You just need Wi-Fi and a ring light.
Social media has become a narcissist's paradise—where shallow thrives over depth, applause matters more than truth, and algorithm becomes altar. It's not just about ego anymore. It’s about creating entire realities, whole identities, built around control, manipulation, and self-worship.
And we’re not just watching… we’re clapping.
Somewhere along the way, we stopped valuing integrity and started idolizing influence. We started mistaking volume for vision. We traded in discernment for dopamine, giving power to people who break rules, rewrite facts, and never take responsibility—because we like the way they look doing it.
But here’s the dangerous part: when you enable a narcissist, you disable your own ethics. You override your instincts. You stop asking questions. You put a person above principle. And that’s not just risky—it’s idolatry.
That’s right. Idolatry.
The same kind warned about in ancient texts and scriptures. Putting a man, a movement, a brand—even a filtered persona—on a pedestal where only conscience and truth should stand.
And what happens when you make someone else your moral compass? You stop steering your own life. You let charm replace character. And when it all collapses—and it always does—you’re left wondering why your soul feels used, confused, and betrayed.
So what’s the solution?
Start celebrating people who apologize. Start following people who admit when they’re wrong. Start honoring quiet integrity over loud charisma. Teach your kids that likes aren’t love and influence isn’t wisdom. And most of all—trust your gut.
If someone always needs to be the center of attention, maybe they don’t have room for you in their world at all.
This is Spiess in the Morning, reminding myself and anyone listening that it’s okay to admire others—but never worship them. Because when you build your beliefs on someone else’s ego, don’t be surprised when it all comes crashing down.
Broadcasting and podcasting from the shores of Otter wisdom, where light dances and stories shimmer through the fog of everyday life.
Community Billboard Reminder: The Stained Studios are having a create your very own stained glass tulip suncatcher. All pieces are pre-cut and ground, and ready for you to foil, solder, and finish. Class fee of $45 includes all materials and supplies needed to complete your piece. Must buy tickets in advance *Colors may vary depending on project.
Now, suncatchers.
They aren’t just decorations. Not really. In many Native and spiritual traditions, light is more than light—it’s truth, it’s spirit, it’s life itself. And a suncatcher? That’s a tool. A prism for spirit. A fragment of stained glass that doesn’t just reflect the sun—it invites it in, shapes it, and sends it dancing across walls, rooms, faces, and sometimes, even hearts.
In Lakota belief systems, Wí, the Sun, is a powerful force of life, often associated with healing, clarity, and vision. The sun dances in ceremonies, songs, and dreams. It is not just a source of heat—it is a presence. A witness. A giver. So the idea of catching the sun isn’t about ownership, but about welcoming light into a space, into a life, into the cracks.
Some Navajo and Pueblo artists have passed down the spiritual essence of glass and light through the tradition of making story glass—pieces that carry meaning in every fragment and color choice. Not unlike how dreamcatchers weave protection from the night, suncatchers weave color into the day.
There are also Celtic echoes of stained glass in churches—a way to tell stories with light and color, where beams cast onto stone floors weren’t just beautiful; they were divine messages in motion. Light made visible. Spirit in technicolor.
And maybe that’s what suncatchers really are: reminders. That no matter how heavy the world gets, no matter how long the shadows stretch, there is still beauty that wants to enter. There is still light worth catching. Still time for your soul to glow in all its broken, refracted, scattered color.
So if you’ve got one hanging in your kitchen window, or tucked in a box somewhere, maybe dust it off. Hang it proud. Let it remind you that light, like truth, like love, finds a way in. Especially when we make space for it.
This is Spiess in the Morning, reminding myself and anyone listening that the sun doesn’t just rise—it reaches. So the final question is: are you open enough to catch it?
Otter and Out.
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👑 East Otter Tail County Fair (Perham) – July 24–27
Head east a few miles and time bends in Perham for the East Otter Tail County Fair. A twin sibling to its western cousin, but like any twin—it’s got its own voice. There’s livestock, sure, but there’s also laughter under the grain bins, and the kind of warmth you can’t program into an app. It’s honest. It’s home.
🤪 Vergas Looney Days – August 11–13
But maybe you’re feeling a little... looney? That’s okay. Embrace it. The folks in Vergas certainly do. Every August, the town throws Looney Days, a celebration that dances joyfully on the fine line between silly and sublime. We’re talking water-ski shows, dachshund races, and street dances where even your uncle who hasn’t moved since ‘84 remembers how to boogie. Vergas isn’t just leaning into the looney—it’s leading the parade.
🦦 OtterFest (Ottertail) – August 12
Then there’s OtterFest in the town of Ottertail. A little quieter. More music than mayhem. It’s the perfect spot to bring a lawn chair, a blanket, and a beer—and just listen. Maybe talk to a stranger. Maybe don’t. OtterFest gives you permission to just... be.
Kate’s Korner Antiques & Collectables is open for the season in Elizabeth! Located across the street from the liquor store on Hwy 59, Kate’s Korner is a must stop and see. If you see the flags flapping in the wind, she’s open and ready to serve your nostalgic needs.
Paul’s Farm Fresh Eggs - $3/dozen - call or text 218-205-7779 (The Greater Elizabeth Area)
Abbie’s Farm Fresh Eggs - $9 for 30 eggs - washed or unwashed - call or text 320-349-0942 (The Greater Morris Area)
IBC Totes for sale - Endless uses for these totes from firewood storage to rainwater catcher to stacking two for an outdoor shower. Pick up encouraged, delivery available. Food grade are $100 each and non-food grade are $65 each. Call 218-639-1116
The Shoreline Bowling Alley in Battle Lake has open bowling All Summer Long. Call 218-864-5265 for more info or stop by 505 N Lake Ave, Battle Lake, MN.
The Bookmobile has books, movies & magazines to check out, but the Bookmobile and member libraries also offer a wide variety of electronic resources including Ebooks, downloadable audiobooks, streaming movies, TV and music, and a wide variety of educational databases and distance learning resources.
The Bookmobile stops across from the Parkers Prairie Post Office every other Wednesday throughout the year. You can find the Bookmobile there from 3 pm to 4 pm.
The Bookmobile stops in Elizabeth, only this stop isn’t at the community center or the public park, rather it’s a private house. Next stop is July 3 in Elizabeth and it’s a block north of the C-Store on the gravel road, or 206 N Pelican Street, for you GPS folk.
Check out more Bookmobile towns by clicking here
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Please tune in tomorrow for more local lakes area tunes, totally tubular tales, and some small-town smiles.
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