Author Thomas M. Disch wrote a short piece that appeared in Harper’s Magazine back in 1974 called ‘Pyramids of Minnesota’. In the essay he proposed building five pyramids in and around the state of, you guessed it, Minnesota.
He suggested that an army of volunteers would form to build the monuments, out of a sense of pride, and the privilege of working on such a grand endeavor.
I love this idea. I think it should happen.
Maybe not the army of volunteers. Somehow I don’t think that anyone would undertake such a massive endeavor on a voluntary basis.
But, if you paid the workers, then you’re creating jobs for a whole lot of people. It’d certainly stimulate the local economy, and even the national economy given the tourist trade and merchandising. But how would you be able to pay all those folks, unless Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos got together to fund the project?
I’ve got one word for you – crowdfunding.
This idea is just so crazy that people would probably back it. I suppose the logistics would have to be worked out ahead of time, like how much material you would need to build five pyramids, and how much land would you have to buy to build them on, how long it would take to build the pyramids, and how much you’d have to pay your workers.
Work that out and you have your funding goal. You might throw in some stretch goals, like having all the backers names carved into the side of one of the pyramids. Or having their handprint put onto one of the stones used to build the pyramids. Or maybe even an option to be buried in one of the pyramids upon your death.
So, what do you think? An idea just so crazy it might work, or impossible pie-in-the-sky never-to-be-completed project? Would you donate to a project like this? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.
If you’d like to support my efforts, why not buy me a chocolate chip cookie through my Ko-Fi page? https://ko-fi.com/jhusum
I think it is very interesting how many people there are who would scream bloody murder at the very thought of any sort of public funding for such a project, yet would fall over themselves to help crowdfund it.
And I think that some of these are the very same people who whine about how they shouldn’t have to tip at restaurants, but apparently support the across-the-board restaurant price increases that lack of tipping would bring about.