Strangers, folks that are elevator contained quiet, not making eye contact.
Keeping pretty much to themselves in the small area surrounding them. When you live in Maine, the wide open space changes all that. You don’t worry about anyone approaching from the side at a fast pace. Your survival defense systems don’t kick into high gear. Fresh, Maine Morning Flowers After Overnight Shower Starts A New Day In Vacationland.
Unless you are traveling in Maine, and four long, spindly legs are spotted in the high beams. Maine moose at 1 o’clock. A very large Maine moose.
Those majestic beasts of the Maine woods make very large vehicle hood ornaments.
Hitting a black bear at a healthy clip is like meeting a bag of cement. Spinning Boo Boo around and gyro twisting him into your car back door. Causing a call to your local body shop. To employ the dent puller, frame machine for realignment to factory vehicle specs.
But back to not a lot of strangers in Maine. I stopped into a country corner convenience store Sunday night. And noticed New York plates on the car closest to the glass door next to the check out as I trotted in. After an Uncle Henry’s, little snack and standing in the check out line. Said hello, smiled at the father and son ahead of me. It startled the pair.
The silent communication trumpeted in the look harpooned back saying “who are you, we don’t know you” part of the defense system.
Second nature to someone living in a very crowded, not so safe, can’t ever be too sure city setting. It made me think how friendly folks in Maine are. Unless you start on a chant of “back in Jersey” blah blah blah. Then the locals retreat a tad because of the ding to the area we are so glad to live, work, play in day and night.Maine. We Stick Together, Like Momma Duck, The Kids In Tow. Where we feel very fortunate to raise our families, run our small businesses, explore and tramp the great outdoors all four seasons.
When less people live in an area, those folks are more aware of each other.
Not so afraid to communicate and we don’t shut down. Get all reserved and self protective. Because Mainers are used to helping each other out. Whether it’s the guy down the street with the plow that blows open the end of your plugged with snow driveway.Looking Like Bank Robbers, But Layered For Maine Down Hill Skiing.
Or when your vehicle hood is up and you need a battery jump start. No shortage of folks that rally, are up for the challenge. To do what they can to get you back on the road. To where you need to be, were headed before a flat as a pancake battery charge happened.
Maybe the advice don’t talk to strangers as Kevin points out to the cashier in the movie while holding down the fort alone.
Picking up a few essential grocery items. Giving TV dinners a whirl. Grabbing a small jug of laundry detergent.
We need, help, work together in Maine. Have to because less people means more aware of the local population. Working events, traveling in the same smaller circles. And all holding inside a fierce love, pride of where we are lucky to live. The place with the space called Maine. Dagnabbit. Don’t stay away so long. Come sample ME.
New to Maine, you made the leap and moved lock, stock and barrel to Vacationland.
Good for you, welcome aboard. Now what. Well, the down to Earth, family orient hard working folks of Maine will give you the shirt of their back. Be there to help to a point. And once you cross that point, retreat happens. Not a mean streak raising its ugly head. But just not wanting to bother with someone that takes more than they give back to keep it even Stevie. Tit for tat, for that. New To Maine, Get Involved In Local Community Events. Pace Yourself.
But advice for the first year living in Maine.
Don’t get in the habit of every other sentence it’s “Back in Jersey”. And proceed to go on about how things roll there In NJ, wherever the two initial state abbreviation push pins says you formally hailed from on the green and blue marble. What you were used to, liked about that other home sweet home outside Maine. Mention those highlights once in awhile, not a steady drizzle of on and on in the one upmanship.
But moved away for some reason from to hang your hat on a nail behind your new home kitchen door in Maine. You are not in New Jersey. You let go of the 1000 people per square mile there in those parts. Changed it up with 44 in southern, 11 souls per square mile in northern Maine.
Whole ‘nother world this place you speak about called “Jersey”. We like to talk about Maine, hear good things about what you like here. And why you left Jersey, moved to the Pine Tree State. Or not even that, just don’t complain, whine, make a fuss. We are all pretty high about Maine’s outdoor, lower populated, tight small town connection. Don’t need reminders about how lucky we have it. We know, are grateful. Inside job that radiates without words. Written all over our faces.
But the dull, jagged edge verbal knife sawing back and forth in conversation about another thing you don’t like about Maine but back in Jersey they blah blah blah.
Can prompt someone, with all due respect, to suggest why not move back to Jersey? Or ask again why was it you landed in Maine again? What brought you here, was the attraction? How to handle that first year moving to Maine, being the new kid on the block. Maine, Our Kids Are The Treasure, Jewels.
Consider the entire ball of wax, the whole nine yards. Overall what was the kick in the pants that caused the move to Maine? Low property prices, so no mortgage or not one hanging around your neck for long. Acreage not inches surround the sticks and bricks. That if you are lucky, living right is parked smack dab on a lake, pond, river, the ocean front.
4th lowest crime state, cost of insurance cut by two thirds, friendly people that make eye contact. Are polite, let you go in traffic, hold doors open for you.
Say hello.
Maine. The clean water, fresh air and S-P-A-C-E. The four season outdoor fun Maine is. Scores second to none in that department hands down. And it just builds from there. Watch, listen to Maine FAQ video of questions we field every day. On The Water, Glad To Be In Maine, Vacationland Full Time.
Hold onto that thought, feeling, carrot that guided the squeaky wheel pony cart.
Kicking your kidneys from the back seat as boredom settles in. Does the twist of a knife teasing.
Caused from being folded in two, doubled over.
Trapped like a large, over sized package in a small, no darn right tiny car cocoon.
Its black magic tainting, infecting the atmosphere of a very long vehicle ride. That takes it’s toll. When it’s hot, everyone is cranky tired, bone weary. Tired of vending food, what was packed for sandwiches three days ago squished, squashed in the Igloo cooler. The AC is on the fritz, on strike again wouldn’t you know it. Wouldn’t that cramp your grandmother as my Mom would say. Humidity air level percentages blast off, skyrocket. Whew. Can we go any faster to just get there? Oh yeah, 75 miles per hour helps cover the ground nimbly. Without the blue lights to ease the pedal to the metal reflex.
Cross the Green bridge and leave all your did not like about Jersey behind. Or whatever state, and replace that red air expelled on your Yoga mat with taking in the all blue and green air of peace. All that quiet.
The cut back of the trickle down Maine taxpayer generated funding.
Everyone admits the need to rein in the spending. Talks the talk. Just not in my corner. Shaved from out of the small town piece of shrinking funding pie they receive. Depends on whose ox is getting gored.Low Or No Cost Outdoor Fun. That’s The Magic Of Maine.
Revenue sharing no longer generously showered from up above.
The bone dropped, always depended on from the state, federal government is not in the bowl. It all whispers, shouts and then screams for the need to scale it back on local expenditures.
Pick up the pace to adjust, match the loss of funding. To keep the small Maine town healthy but lean and mean to survive. Living within its means. Right side up.
Whoa Nellie on the overspending already is slow to gain traction unless you are in the East Millinocket region where no choice, things are pretty dire.
Area belt tightening of money a small Maine town just does not have. To take up the slack. From depending on higher up the government levels in the food chain too long. On what dried up, evaporated. Of changes in aging industry missing from the landscape. Shuttered, vacant, abandoned. Moved away to better business environments, or just plain defunct bankrupt. Outdated or gone off shore, overseas.
Revenue that has been missing for awhile now. The life support machinery cool, colored lights off, quiet, dusty. As any precious local reserves are eaten up in the wasteful idling. Not adjusting the dials to adopt a plan that allows for continued scaling back quicker. To do what’s necessary and better sooner than later.
Aggressive, decisive, necessary, painful steps needed but not taken across the board hurts everyone.
To fill the shotgun holes, blasted shrapnel coming in from all directions. Peppering the wallets and purses asked, demanded to open wider. To keep the lights on in the small Maine community. Finding A Way To Make A Living, Stay In Maine Full Time. It’s Worth It.
Hitting the heart of the budget line items. Nicking the artery of what was there but looking back only distracting, delaying in the hope it returns. The problems on the state and federal levels is deep enough to assure that won’t happen soon.
The luxury of waiting for a miracle is not there for small Maine towns not flush with cash. That like the taxpayers that struggle to stay, populate it, need a plan.
In Northern Maine, Aroostook County the census hemorrhages yearly. As folks die, move away, not being replaced at the same rate or for growth to happen. The numbers to drive home the point are the census for 1980 91,331, 1990 86,936, 2000 73,936, 2010 71,870, 2013 70,055. Aroostook County is the size of CT and RI combined. With only 11 people per square mile.
Shrinking population contributing, along with inflation and the ignored over spending are a dangerous cocktail we won’t wake up from if consumption does not change.
If the spending is “make it a double”. Decreasing players to fund the Maine towns, spread out the cost is causing acceleration in the population drain nose dive. Duplication in government is so wasteful.
Heard out in public. “Can’t afford to live there, mil rate just hiked higher and higher is killing me.” Scaring away young people who needs jobs but also the lower cost to live in these tight knit, friendly communities. That are scared. But don’t freeze at the controls to the spending levers.Self Sufficient, Reliance In The Maine Simple Living Happier Algorithm.
When far from product, service markets, contending with a long winter, high heating costs and aging population all of Maine is experiencing.
Overspending that causes a small Maine town or city to bleed out faster if ignored.
If more than only token cutbacks steps are taken. With the public relations game of a little money shell game from this account. To band aid, temporarily patch that one. But ignoring the financial realty of the very dark clouds brewing, forming overhead a small Maine town.
From the reduction of revenue levels that need the spending to mirror, match the slide, decline too. To live within your means, what you have to work with and filling the void with the creative Maine spirit. To make it work. With what you have and be grateful, resourceful. To do whatever it takes. Your Neighbors Four Legged, Furry, Curious, Shy.
Not putting same budgets out for vote and declaring no where to cut. When you have to, whether you want to or not.
Or thinking just scale back other areas but not mine. That is not a plan for the greater good of the small Maine town. But self serving, aloof, out of touch.
But treated as good enough.
Bluffing, arrogant like a card shark with the dark glasses. Emotionless face that you can’t read in the stand off. When the money is just not there to stomach another sucker punch.
A tax mill increase when already too high and scaring away business relocation. Putting the local town taxpayers on the ropes, slipping down to the canvas. Down for the count as the bells rings loudly.Maine. Working Hard, Sticking With It, Expecting More From Ourselves Than Others.
Do what needs to be done. Not ship shod avoiding the reductions because it is not popular. Not easy but only gets harder as you wait.
For everyone to bicker, grumble when the energy should be in coming up with solutions. Not personal attacks, ancient history lamenting of past mistakes. But kicking into gear. Those hard but the majority on board hammered out best direction decisions implement and let’s get cracking.
Instead of hoping next year the sun will come out tomorrow sang like a hopeful but sorrowful little Broadway Annie solo.
Not the logic, approach that one uses in their own household finances. Or when running a small Maine business feeling the strain of higher taxes, over regulation. And the overall onus that government and school administrations are out of touch with the majority of taxpayers.
That just don’t have reserve to handle the jack up the property taxes, local permit and service fees. To feed the ignored cancer that is bloating, spreading. That put off is going to be bloody in the eleventh hour what do we do now scramble. When options are limited, the small town has painted itself into a tight corner.
No crowds in Maine, just you, your family, friends, whoever tags along.
To hike, to bike, ski, paddle into neat out of the public eye places. Maine is loaded with them. To collect experiences that never fade when you involve kids of all ages. To be one yourself again. To tutor them on what to continue for traditions in Maine.Majestic, Constant, Challenging Mt Katahdin Maine
The cost is low, reward high.
Invest a few gallons of gas when you are lucky enough to be planted in Maine full time, all four seasons. A knapsack or tailgate buffet for the hungry hikers, modern day explorers to enjoy after the trek in and out.
Lots of high calorie, trail mix, Glorp or fruit. All natural snacks for the munching, refueling, wandering. Finding your way along hidden paths. The sames ones that get returned to at all the different stages of your life.Maine Is Water, Woods, Wildlife, S-P-A-C-E! Often with a few members, some loved ones missing because time goes by. Life is too short to waste.
Dig out the map. Put down the channel clicker. Put the snack bowl reached into out of boredom on the kitchen sideboard. And round up, make plans to hike in Maine.
Picking small outings like Hastings Brook Falls, up Haystack Mountain in Aroostook County.
Bike the 50 mile Acadia National Park trail network a portion at a time, bite sized approach. Marvel at the stone work on the bridges. Share the pathway with horse drawn carriages. Strangers you meet don’t stay that way for long either.
Then working yourself up to larger, more challenging, longer hills and dales to step by step arrive at new, off the path, to venues in Maine. Weaving, Needling Your Car, Bike Through The Highway Thread. Exploring Maine.The kind the tourist information four color glossy fold out with all the ads left out.
The kind of areas that Maine wildlife are pretty familiar with because you are on their home turf now Sport. Invited in to tread lightly. To carry in and out. Be good stewards, respectful. Mind your P’s and Q’s. And you get invited back, return tickets because you are now a partner with nature’s delicate balance.
All eyes and ears careful. With a swelling, building inside feeling of awe. From the natural habitat, the mixed woods, crystal clean waterways. Can you stand the Maine noise of all that quiet? Hear Suddenly be able to hear yourself think.
The setting is Maine. Are you tapping into the resource that hits you deeply, satisfies to the bone, other places too you did not know you had. Down near your soul.
Open up all your inside doors and windows, let the sunshine, fresh air in. Feel the weight of the World lifted, removed, air brushed out of your way.
These spots you revisit, expand your closeness, the outdoor intimacy to drop dead gorgeous Maine who casts her spell.
Build into your vacation and any time you can sneak away to incredible spots. That are all one of a kind. Not man made and free for just the planning, scheduling or spur of the moment to enjoy. Maine, unfiltered, pure, all natural. Get to the place with the space.
Not the smartest thing to do while driving on blind corners at sunrise, sunset. The many twisting, dipping and vehicle thrown side to side Maine country roadways. Where wildlife crossings at any minute add to the adventure. But the most basic communication with much missing in the talk to me experience. Strained out, filtered, just the nature of the hunt and peck with both thumbs.Waving, Communication Without Texting, Video, Anything Electronic.
I have a slide out keyboard on a Droid phone.
Otherwise, it would be using a steel pen to make the point. Or the need to modify both thumbs on a touch screen. Making them pencil sharpened cylinder machined.
Tapered to a something smaller, a whittled point. To fit, work the A to Z, other keys. For instant, no matter where you are if there is a wireless signal to ride. For the hand held, parked in your pocket communication. LOL, TTL, LMAO. Two way, your turn to say it, post it quick. Like telegrams of old of “Send Money. STOP. Need It Quickly. OVER. Send, Wire Lots. Thnx. TRANSMISSION COMPLETE.
Texting. In the same category as Morse code light flashes off the bow of a ship on the horizon.
Or smoke signals on a calm day where the communication does not get word jumbled. Out of order to only cause greater confusion in the conversation on a background of blue writing “paper”.
But texting, unlike sky writing with a long stretch of canvas trailing behind a plane, is two way. Maybe like the early black and white version of ping pong on the Commodore 64 or 128. The Atari console. But what does not get loaded into the text communication is the rest of the communication elements missing. Maine, Outside, Another Season. Just Dressed Different. Inner Communication Going On With A Higher Power.
Not like when sitting face to face on a Maine open porch on a summer evening with the smell of fresh flowers in the window boxes. Fresh coffee and just hopped out of the oven, on to a small plate sticky cinnamon buns.
Not as full, robust and using all the senses. Not like a restricted pull it tighter, straining to hear. With the other end of the tin can and string conversation.
The pause as the answer to a question is searched for, one raised eyebrow reaction or slight smirk is witnessed.
Or the tone of the response. Are we both whispering, library study setting concerned about interrupting the concentration of others deep in thought?
The copy, dialogue colored with apathy, excitement, worry or distraction? Because something else is going on in the background obvious that with texting is not always known. Where are you while texting can help explain the delay, constraints if only the other side of the walkie talkie back and forth knew the “you are here”. It would help explain the “where did that answer come from’ or those texts that make you go “HHMmmmmmm”.Lots Of Public Suppers Happen In Small Maine Towns. Across The Baked Beans, Coleslaw, Brown Bread And Potato Salad Table Conversations.
In college one speech course was SC 45, interpersonal communication.
Where the body language of a person all added to the what is being felt, not formed into words but the signal still broadcasting.
On a sub channel carrier frequency if you knew the cues. The arms crossed, keep your distance stance. The ears back, teeth showing and someone is going to get kicked without words formulated, rolling off the tongue.
The color of your tie, car, other accessories making a statement, supporting the look of cool, calm, collected, confidence. But your breathing is labored, sweat is forming on your brow. You look away a lot. Which says something different is happening inside. Without hooking up the polygraph stylus for the sweeps to know for sure if you are walking the talk. Being totally honest. Instead of playing games, working with spin, smoke, mirrors.
The cat tail back and forth annoyance, the look of silent seething.
All missing when it is only the See Dick, See Jane, Puff, Spot simplicity of a text. One same size font, maybe a smiley face with expression salt and peppered here and there.
Texting to say hey, what’s shaking, where you be bro? What’s your 10-20 good buddy. Where quantity is restricted from the big hands, little device and business doing something else. Multi tasking while the ongoing chit chat pings and pongs.
Like tennis, waiting for a serve from your last tap tap send. Maybe with an image attached or video clip that really adds to the conversation. To bring it out of the dark.
The meeting set up in a room where the placement of chairs can help or hinder the communication. Straight line or horseshoe intimate. To draw in the participants. Put them on the same level or keep them at arms length, or greater distance for a reason. Picking Up The Signal Loud And Clear In Maine.
Making it two way, or just sit there and absorb like a sponge.
And try to stay awake because the guy or gal up front reading to you, not so animated has a cattle prod in the end of the chalk board pointer or red pen lazer dancing on the pull down powerpoint screen.
Texting, ever thought the other end of the signal took the wrong spur, went into a dead end siding like a lost rail car?
Because not enough to go on. With just three words here and there. Or clever abbreviations is all the other side of the conversation has to draw conclusions, get up to speed. Or jump to the all wrong conclusion. Maybe long delays and what were we talking about again? Reading too much into the gap, space but not figuring in the guy or gal lost the four bars, MIA, battery went red dead.
Texting, it makes for the constant ability to let others around you know you are here to reach out and locate easily. To pose a quick question. Remind “I love, miss you”. Or “good luck on the medical test, with the final exam, your long distance travel journey”. But nothing War and Peace long winded going to happen for all the color, nuances, extra seasoning of the face to face. The 3 feet or less, cheek to cheek apart communication. With or without the lights on.
Do you have skills, talents beyond just what you do in the primary chase, hunt down?
In the bag and tag of the weekly paycheck? What you may have a background, a degree, training of some type in. That all around you just automatically associated with you. When they think of when it’s time to reach out. Who you gonna call. For someone that does your kind of primary employment. Surrounded By Island Water, Meet Your Neighbors.
Growing up on a Maine farm, there was lots of exchange of talents, swapping one piece of equipment for another in the arsenal of each farmer’s barn yard.
To avoid buying, tying up precious cash on a farm implement that only was used a couple if that times a year.
My Dad would borrow a belly straper from Don Hagan to smooth up the driveways. The right tool for the job and all set up on one of his 806 IH tractors. Nothing to pick up, hook on our own, unbolt. Remove, return hassle for just a little once in year job.
The feeling in the swap mutual with another Maine farmer.
That returned the equipment, did not let every other Tom, Dick and Harry use it. So when you needed it back, you did not have to do search and rescue. For the MIA red, green or whatever color farm tractor attachment. It can work, the give and take with the right responsible partners.
Had a real estate buyer tell me about her adventures while living in Florida with bartering. She bartered for medical services, everything else she and her family needed. The exchange just was not the cash and carry most of us are used to today. No credit extended. Unless it was I am coming over and shingling your porch roof for the swap of you letting me have that ailing lawnmower, a half cord of cut, split and has to be moved wood. Pick Your Outdoor Pleasure. Maine Has Them All. Spread Over The Four Seasons.
Do you have something to trade, swap or is it like the card game of Fish.
For the got any skills beyond brain surgery and diamond cutting, whatever ask?
If in this country all heck broke loose, a full compliment of survival skills held in your hand, inside to tout would be necessary. If money was no good, did not do the trick for the other end of the dickering, bartering, exchange.
If can you fix my car, have you got any gas, ammo, food was more important, sought after.
Instead of what if tucked in your purse, folded in your wallet for green, dead Presidents. Or plastic, worthless cards with magnetic strips no longer of any value.
Inflation with money no longer so sought after would be gone from the survival equation.
The folks deep in the hearts of a city that did not live on farms, did not have small business enterprises their parents ran to learn a myriad of skills. From the hands on, the neat feeling of I can do this, that and a lots more too. Empowerrment. DIY before it became a household word like “green”. Where we in Maine lived that way before someone thought of adding a color, marketing as something new, novel. To the day to day approach to life. Uneven, Rocky Crooked Paths But Still Seeking Alignment. Balance,
Worked at one radio station in Bangor where other than payrolls, so so much of everything else was a trade out, bartered.
For example, we’ll give you a dollar a holler, a radio spot cluster package in exchange from the heating oil company we were bragging up on air.
The cost of the goods, services reduced to strictly wholesale to wholesale. No mark up, waiting and in and out exchange of services. Not so sure taxes, service fees were always tallied up either. It could have been under the table stuff, slight of hand maneuvering. I just spun the records, rip and read the news.
The paved parking lot needs surface crack filling and resealing? Why don’t we tell the world about the great job you provide and reasonable prices doing just that Mr Guy With The Black Tar application devices? While you are out front the little studio with the big stick and guy wires in the back yard beats feet.
Does the job in a jiffy of efficiency. For us to broadcast it all over the listening area.
That that big red and white, lighted tower radiates, connects with on air, shares with all the listeners digging the music, news, other services we provide. Trade outs, bartering that the IRS is not so cranked up about, done below radar with a no paperwork. Just a gentlemen’s agreement. Simple hand shake and fair exchange between two parties. The arrangement that lasts, stands the test of time and just works in small Maine town living.
