By Jim Pilgrim

I was driving across Minnesota last month, wind blowing from the north. I swear the snow was coming all the way from Manitoba.

I stopped at a rest stop to calm my nerves and take a five minute break to get the blood flowing back through my white knuckles.

On the way out the door I stopped for a minute to talk with an older gentleman that was mopping up the sloppy mess being tracked into the lobby.

He asked, “How are the roads?”

“Spots are pretty slick” I shared.

He leaned on his mop and said “It could be tricky, but you’ll be OK”

He was right, I made it safely to the end of my day.

The same thing will hold true for us working our way down the Broadband Stimulus highway.

We have many obstacles to overcome in the next few years. Too much work, too little time. Equipment shortages, not enough qualified workers, and our government looking over our shoulder.

In my 32 years of work in our industry, I’ve met so many smart, hard-working, dedicated, salt-of-the-earth people.

We’ll all work together, keep a level head, and get it done. Just like we’ve done many times before.

It could be tricky, but we’ll be OK.