I have said before that I have always been interested in learning someone’s “story.”

More or less learning their “story” means finding interesting things about their life.

For instance, where they grew up, went to school, places they have lived, how they met their spouse. Things like that.

It usually does not take long to find out something pretty unusual, interesting or even strange about a person.

Everybody has something interesting to relate about themselves and their life. You just have to delve a little deeper with some folks than others.

One thing I have always found interesting is to learn why a person lives where they live.

For some it is easy. They live where they were born, or at least nearby. Or they married someone from here. Or they moved here for a job.

Then there are those who seem to live somewhere, like Blue Earth for instance, just randomly. They just seem to have moved here … for no particular reason at all.

Blue Earth, and the surrounding area, seems to have quite a few people like that living here.

So, this week we have started what we hope will be an interesting series of interviews with some folks who have moved here. We call it “Meet Your Neighbor” with the subtitle of “Have a Cup of Coffee With…”

Of course, we may have to change that subtitle, depending on whether the person drinks coffee or not.

The idea is we want you, the reader, to feel as though you just met this person and you are sharing a cup of coffee with them and getting to know them.

Perhaps you might actually grab a cup of coffee (or other beverage of your choice) to enjoy while you are reading the interview.

Our first subject of “Meet Your Neighbor” is Ryan Peterson, and you can read his story starting on page two of this issue. You will quickly learn that Ryan is a very interesting fellow. For one thing, he recently ran in a race that covered several hundred miles and went through several states.

Yes, really. A little bit like Forrest Gump who just took off running one day, only Ryan Peterson was in an actual race.

And, of course, you will learn how this young man, who has lived in several countries around the world, ended up living here in Blue Earth.

It was one of Ryan’s neighbors, Gary Holmseth, who suggested we might want to write a story about Ryan and all his running. Ryan is a very interesting guy, Gary said. He was right.

Perhaps you know of someone who is fairly new to the community of Blue Earth, or other towns in Faribault County. Someone who might have an interesting story to share. Let me know if you do. Feel free to give me a call at the Faribault County Register at 526-7324, or email me at chunt@faribaultcountyregister.com. We can keep your name private if you wish.

Or perhaps it is you who is someone who has moved here and have your own story to share. Give me a call.

Over the past years I have visited with quite a few newcomers to Blue Earth. Some did indeed come here for a job, whether it be teaching, city administrator or working at, or owning, a local business. Some folks came here because they grew up here, moved away, and now were moving back “home” because they were retiring.

Others moved here to be by family.

A few come here because housing is not as expensive as other places. Some moved here because they were tired of living in a larger city and wanted to move to a nice small town. Blue Earth fits that description, with amenities such as a good school, excellent hospital and clinic and parks, pool, trails and golfing, among many other things.

I have talked to some folks who chose to come to Blue Earth simply because they liked the name. One couple moved here because they wanted to live in an earth home, and one was for sale in this town called Blue Earth.

So we hope to share some interesting stories about your new neighbors over the next few months. Not every week, but it will be an occasional on-going series, we hope, that will help us all welcome our new neighbors to town.

And speaking of visiting with your neighbors, there seemed to be a whole lot of that going on at the Faribault County Fair this past week.

After a hot first day, people came out in droves the next day when the heatwave broke and everyone seemed to head to the fairgrounds to take in the sights and visit with friends and neighbors.

That included me, and the other staffers at the Register. I took a lot of photos and I talked to a lot of people.

And, I think I picked up an idea or two for future “Meet Your Neighbor” stories.

Stay tuned.