Comedian Al Franken is running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. We have heard people remark, &8220;Hey, Al Franken is from Albert Lea.&8221;

Al Franken lived in Albert Lea for two years as a small child. He moved away at 6. While we and most anyone appreciate that the Franken family lived here for a time and we like other folks appreciate that Al Franken remembers our fair city, let&8217;s be honest here. He is not really from Albert Lea in the way that, for instance, actress Marion Ross is from Albert Lea or musician Eddie Cochran is from Albert Lea. Franken is from St. Louis Park.

So what does it take to be from a place?

To most people, it depends on how the term is used, so there are two meanings.

The first meaning is where you live now. If you travel to a football game in Minneapolis and someone asks, &8220;Where are you from?&8221; if you reside in Albert Lea you reply, &8220;Albert Lea,&8221; even if you didn&8217;t grow up here.

The second meaning is where you grew up. Being from a place in this sense usually connotes where you spent most of your childhood, particularly your teenage years. To that question of

&8220;Where are you from?&8221; Franken likely responds with &8220;St. Louis Park.&8221;

Albert Lea is a welcoming community, regardless of political party. (Franken grew up in a Republican family, by the way.) It is too bad the quilting factory Franken&8217;s father opened didn&8217;t succeed. To be sure, Albert Leans would have been happy to have Al Franken grow up here.