Maine Truck Drivers, Holding Up Traffic Or Have A Purpose For The Snail’s Crawl Pace.
The Matteseunk Lake fishing trip started our enjoyable but quickly shifted to a tragedy.
The 576 acre lake in Aroostook County with an average depth of 21 feet in the Molunkus area is known as a popular spot for anglers. The serious kind that live, are passionate about wetting the line.
But the pair of Maine fishermen climbed into a John boat, and out on the open water the vessel upset.
Flipped over and suddenly everything going so well turned 180 degrees. Went from bad to worse. When the drowned fisherman’s body was discovered, recovered it showed he had gotten one wader leg off. As it filled, sunk. Lead weighted like a cinder block with the eight plus pounds per gallon of H2O dragged him down. But only the one leg removed but not in time to replenish the oxygen to his lungs.
The dead fisherman was a veteran truck driver. And his widow said he would want his ten wheel Kenworth maroon and white tractor trailer truck to lead the way. On the course, bee line from the funeral to the Portland Maine grave yard. The nephew tapped for the job of driving the lead escort said traffic was busy. As he with lights on, blinker lights flashing in a four way succession heading to the final resting place. On the last ride for the uncle who loved, lived to fish and drove truck.
Heading, weeding, threading the needle with vehicles like a Pied Piper.
Carefully, slowly, respectfully through the city streets in this solemn moment prossesional in the early 1980’s. When suddenly a police cruiser in two tone basic black and plain white with sirens and lights of his own flashing, blaring cuts off, stops the lead lone truck. The one all polished, dead heading without a box to the cemetery in Maine’s largest city. Driven by a nephew surprised by the cruiser’s sight and sound.
Jumping, stepping up on the aluminum diesel fuel driver’s side saddle tank and proceeding to bark instructions to the stunned driver. The over dressed for the purpose he is ten and two behind the wheel of the big, over the road rig for today. Not wearing the standard chain drive wallet. No George Jones, Tanya Tucker, Red Sovine playing on the boom box.
“You’re holding up traffic, pull over and get out your log book, registration and license” said curtly. The annoyed dark uniformed Portland cop with the gun and badge, cocked to the side hat was upset, clearly annoyed. Did not candy coat it, pull any kidney punches on how he really felt as the driver rolled down the driver’s side tinted window.
“What are you doing, holding up all these cars and trucks in heavy traffic man?” “Look at all the cars behind you that are being held up by you!”
But his demeanor, mood reversed to a somber, dejected one. When his boss appeared, a Captain in the force that took the traffic stopper officer to task. Explaining the truck driver was the lead reindeer in the funeral for the actual truck owner who died. The deceased driver being honored who was a passenger, riding in the black, shiny hearse with high beam lights on behind the Kenworth. In front of all the other cars with head lamps on too. Filled with dark dressed, clothed family members, friends of the truck’s deceased owner. Things in life are not as they first appear.
Large Trees No Match For Strong Maine Winds, Rains Working Together.
Talking about the weather, the standard default when conversation lulls.
The driving force for many when you decide what kind of day it is based on if the sun is shining or not. The amount of rainfall in Maine has been on the plus side this spring.
Too much water means Maine farmers have equipment parked, waiting to plant the rest of their crops.
I have talked with some Maine potato and grain farmers who indicate roughly 35% of their crop is in. The saturated soil of ground water makes them nervous about the seed already planted. And left wondering when they can plant the rest of their crops without mired to the axles in mud, stuck solid up to the hubs. To salvage, have something on the other end, in fall to harvest. That’s farming in Maine, anywhere because you are dependent on the weather. Which you and I know the weather is not always predictable. Often not so tame, cooperative.
The winds Sunday night combined with the heavy rains to create extra work for power and phone line crews too.
Micro bursts of intense wind, torrential rain caused extensive damage. With trees down on lines, structures, vehicles. The clean up continues and it does make one wonder about the summer weather ahead. Whatever the pattern is, Mainer’s are resilient, will make the most of what they have. And find some ray of sunshine, something to be grateful about to survive.
On the other hand businesses like white water rafting, kayak outfits are enjoying the increase in water. The river changes with more water but overall improves with the added H2O. Because dangerous rocks exposed and to be maneuvered around are suddenly erased. The river gets “more slippery”. Like oil in the machine that lubricates the chutes, twists and turns. Adding more padding, cushion, insulation for the ride.
But dairy bars for ice cream take out and outdoor vacation parks could do without too much added water. The increased number of daily showers are like a wet blanket. Heat, hot temperatures are what help tag team with the bright sunshine, blue skies to make one hanker, drool for something cool, sweet. That says summer when the take out window opens and asked politely “can I help you, what will it be?”
If a summer is dark, cold, wet, the business lost in June, July, August does not suddenly get made up at the tail end of the season either.
With all those missed treats suddenly collected in a sugar high all at once. To even the score, end up with as many twisted cones, banana boats or sauced sundaes with chopped nuts and cherry. All teetered, balanced and carefully carried back to the vehicle that delivered the customer. The business is gone, but the payments to run the enterprise continue regardless. People stay in when it rains. Outdoor businesses need them to do the opposite and head outdoors, move around.
Today the sun is shining, there is a summer breeze. And the lack of a run of picture perfect summer days can make the hit or miss ones you do get blessed with all the more sweeter, precious. Pick a season, don’t have to have a reason and get to Maine. And roll down that window, you’re in Vacationland now.
Learning From Both Maine Dark Clouds, Storms Or The Many Bright Sunshine Days.
The patience to learn and succeed is easy while the sunshines. When life’s roadway is straight, paved and level.
But introduce some twists, hairpin turns. Sprinkle in a few dips, gullies, large potholes. Pile on, get dumped some straight up vertical rock climbs to your life course. Throw in a healthy dose of intense, severe inclimate weather patterns and what happens?
Depends on the person.
Some blame others, make excuses, avoid challenges during the seemingly sad turn of events. Step away rather than dig in and take responsibility. But how you lead, react to life all depends on what you were taught growing up. What you saw illustrated to see the good, bad and the ugly. And to apply those lessons to your own life.
Or if missed out early on when knee high to a grasshopper, then hopefully picked up soon along the way. If certain lessons just not gleaned, available to harvest in the all important formative years. If not shared or talked about by the circle of loved ones raising you on open front porches. In farm home kitchen rocking chairs enjoying a fresh home made cookie, something cool to drink. The bits and pieces of the sage wisdom shared during picnics, at funerals and wedding events. From now wiser, older family members expressing love not anger. Or engaging in the the unproductive turmoil of feeding, perpetuating pure heavy drama. Shift gears. This us, we, not me.
My Dad’s University of Maine college commencement speaker told the rows and rows of new graduates wearing the square hats that he wished them much success. But at the same time hoped they made mistakes. Lots of them quickly. Had setbacks early in life so they could benefit from them. To save greater, deeper heartache later. So life was rich, had purpose, fulfillment and was not kept a dark mystery where you missed out on many of the fun rides, experiences.
Feeling dispair, that setbacks are permanent.
Instead of turmoil should be only temporary because you are not easily discouraged. And one by one sort through the solutions options available so the dark clouds disperse. Blue sky and the sun can shine brightly again in your life. For those you are lucky to have in it surrounding you because relationships are the most important thing in life. When it is all said and done right? Who would not want to improve them, make them to get to the next deeper level? Unless you like, thrive on hubbub. Ah, but it takes everyone eyes wide open. Ears too. To be in unity, harmony, to achieve oneness. To rise above the pretty petty habit of who to blame when the going gets tough.
So one by one, picking up, adding new tools to the skill set. To improve your approach, outlook on life. The most powerful lessons kind you only grasp, latch onto when between a rock and a hard place. The low spots where you really learn to find the silver lining. It does not matter how you fell in the hole but how to get out right?
To start small and build your way up.
After stripping away the non-essentials of run away emotions, fear, insecurities. Becoming humble, meek, mild. But highly creative, resourseful, prayerful. Receptive to really learning after your pride disappears. And survival saddles up, kicks in with sharp spurs from both sides. When it becomes do or die, sink or swim.
Sad to say but like banging your head against the wall, it feels so good when you stop. When you try something new to achieve different results. To move from the stall, dead lock. Pushing hard with both feet when you bottom out. Onward, upward 180 degrees in a new direction.
Clothed with a completely different atttitude.
Armed with a better outlook, full of hope and desire to improve the situation. Knowing you can do it. Are not lazy even though temporarily blind. Even if not everyone around you is on the same page, on board in the resolution when the options are limited. But when arguement, circular debates that go nowhere just bog everything done. Cause bone tired weary to happen which is one big waste of time, emotion, life. Don’t waste the sunshine, daylight but learning to weather the darkness, the storms in life. We need to compare notes, learn from each other.
But what did you learn to avoid the same blind mistakes and emotion upheaval they cause to you, those around you that you care about, love and worry about? If you don’t take ownership, have a stake in the steady decline of missed cues, red flags and just ignorance to new situations, nothing new is added.
To the what just happened / what did we just learn column in the gray matter we all carry around. And try to improve to avoid the rerun, rehash. Over and over repeat of the not so pleasant but highly educational life experience. And our role in the script to that life movie.
Maine, two words. Natural, outdoors. She’s drop dead gorgeous and waiting. Get here quick as you can.
Find Yourself Involved, Enjoying, Contributing To A Small Maine Town.
You live in a city, large sprawling urban area and wonder where does all the money go.
Your car insurance if you dare to drive is higher cost. Because vehicles get stolen. Joy rides happen. Chop shops dissect cars, trucks, SUV’s buzzard quick like they were road kill. The chances of being bumped or plowing into a multi car super highway cloverleaf pile up are higher because you don’t live in a small Maine town. Maine is mostly small town with 108 total muncipalities to call home.
When you have a patch of dirt, more land around your lower cost Maine home, you can grow your own food. Sell the excess or use it to barter services back and forth with the neighbor down the country lane. You also save gas in a small town because everything is close, handy. Living in a smaller community in Maine means you can walk to things. The movies, out to eat, to a corner grocery for a quart of milk, loaf of bread. The essentials.
You enjoy little things like a dairy bar ice cream. Socializing at a bean supper.
Fund raising meal spread for a school trip. To help a local burned out family that lost their home to a fire. Or to give, show support to one with a sickness. Struggling with an expensive medical operation. Everyone pitches in. Digs deep. With a silent auction after the tasty meal. Of small local business and home made crafts, donated items. Your comforts are smaller but larger at the same time. Your appreciation for life increases because you can think, breathe easier with clean air, water, the unspoiled environment.
In small Maine towns you are way more involved with activities, part of the local landscape.
Festivities at civic, church, school groups are worked, not just attended. There is more of each individual written all over the home grown, small Maine town events. The expensive monetary option of just hiring it done gone. So greater commitment happens from the individuals. Year after year. That group that is only so large when in Northern Maine there are only eleven people per square mile. In a wide open area in Aroostook County the size of the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. If you don’t come forward, who is going to behind you when the population numbers are smaller.
And due to the big helping of expansive wildlife filled woods and our clean lakes, rivers, streams and ponds to explore, the fun is outdoors. Low or no cost. You live in Vacationland, the desire of many but who only sample just one teenie weenie precious week, long weekend to last the rest of the year. Until the next trip north to the state in the right hand corner of the country. Almost in Canada which offers a whole new nation under a waving red maple leaf to sample. For an entirely International spin to your recreation, leisure time too. When you already live here, not having to schedule that short window of opportunity when you check out of work for a vacation from the concrete jungle. Crossing the big green bridge at the southern tip of Maine.
When you live in a small Maine town, you know, care, pray for your neighbors.
You are more connected to others because crime is nil. You can let your guard down, not wear a taser and wear a smile. Make eye contact. Communicate to and not ignore folks around you. To feel the pride because you contribute, are needed, would be missed if not in a small town. The people, individuals are the local community flavor, spirit, spark. Local waitresses miss the regulars that view the diner as family. When they have none.
And Maine small town people care about shut ins, elderly, knowing they themselves will be in the same position some day. Calls to Martha that does not drive anymore. To see if she needs anything at the grocery store. Or inviting her to come along for the ride. To get out of the house, apartment. Or snow blowing her driveway, shoveling a walk. Including her in a holiday celebration. You kids treat her like family which is gladly becomes despite not matching DNA pumping in her veins.
You watch the community grow up. Kids are raised by the village. One by one you follow their lives. You coach youth teams, sponsor competitions, teach Sunday school, hire area youth for jobs. Know the brothers, sisters, moms and dads. Related to many. It is a given that “if it is to be it is up to me” thinking experience a small Maine town.
More confident, self assured, with a larger do it yourself, jack of all trades skill set. Lazy becomes a cuss word. Hitting below the belt sniping remark that stings. Wired into everyone growing up, being shaped, guided in a small Maine town to pitch in, have respect for other’s feelings, their possessions. The favor returned. And not much happens that is lost from scrutiny, like in the bright lights, big city fast paced shuffle.
Maine homes that cost less get paid off faster.
Mortgages disappear and free up resources for other endeavors. Like savings, a second home or camp on the Maine waterfront. Travel, college funds, household expenses all benefit from the cheaper day to day overhead. Your worry emotions run lower, the stress is less financial. You count your blessings. You enjoy life more when you have space, room to roam, can find a place to think without noise, people, the hustle bustle of better pay attention heavy traffic. A faster paced hurry scurry all the time. That’s no way to live… in a blur of worry, crime, high cost of living right?
In a small town, lots of talent from other areas of the country comes together in a blend, melting pot of creativity. Retired folks get involved, share what they have learned in other parts of the World. Young families can stretch their dollar because of lower cost of everything. Especially Maine real estate. You can own more property with extra features because supply is always bigger than demand. Which keeps the price down where it is manageable, affordable.
You get more creative in a small Maine town.
There are no gangs, worries about safety. Utilizing the options from public libraries, cross country ski trails, bike paths, hiking options happen. The fun is outdoors, all four seasons. Sporting events, from fishing, hunting, snow sledding, skiing, four wheeling are possible. Photography of nature, art, sharpening writing skills all get tapped into instead of just reaching for your wallet. And tying your fun to store bought or something man made. Not natural and home grown. And your awareness, clarity increases of all the little things that matter most in life happens in your less populated, more natural surroundings happens. Make it not buy it.
Money is not so important in a small Maine town and you get out of the habit of spending, the norm in a city where everything costs dearly. Things like paying for expensive parking, theatre tickets, nose bleed high swanky places are saved for a trip. Not practiced, pricey expenditures found round the clock, day in and out in a small Maine town. Family values, work ethic and responsibility happen with kids raised in a small Maine town.
Thank You With A Smile, Leaving No Doubt The Employee Waiting On You Really Means It.
Survival in a business depends on watching the bottom line, providing consistent customer service that is top notch, memorable.
All the time. It takes work ethic, pride in what you do even if you are not handstand happy about certain aspects of any job you hold down. And it means liking people, all of them. With empathy to put yourself in their moccasins to feel what it like to be on the receiving end of the product sale, service provided.
On a recent fly out, drive back trip to youngest son’s college graduation we both got a chance to examine lots of transactions. With motels, restaurants, and store stops of all kinds, every quality level of service showed up, was experienced. The good, bad, and ugly.
One stop at a BP gas station caused a young lady to trot out to the self serve pumps in the middle of no where in Kansas.
Handing out BP hand sanitizers, nickel discount per gallon of gas cards if you signed up for plastic. With a magnetic strip to add to the wallet collection I sit on. Ah, no thanks. In the small C Store, another young lad’s full time job was meet, greet and try a second time to hand out a sanitizer, credit card application and again no thanks. Need a black coffee, a little snack and back on the black, broken white line highway for this pair from Maine.
But before the cup of Joe, the tidbit wrapped in plastic, high time to hit the little boys room. Which was also the little girls room, one at a time use please. Whoa, got my attention. The by far dirtiest, grossest and not so sweet smelling pit stop spot. Luckily I have had all my shots, still have tonsils, a spleen, other infection fighters on board.
But wonder, why not take one of the hand santiser distributors on two feet to tackle the bathroom facilities with a scrub brush, bucket?
Then think back about a Maine Irving gas outlet and a clipboard hanging on the door. Showing hourly clean up details, a time and signature of the employee who is responsible. Reprimanded for slacking or patted on the back for doing his job. Who’s mission is to make the place to sparkle shine, odorless, spotless. Clean and fresh. To give a comfortable, safe feeling to a weary road warrior traveler who stumbles in, races out.
Thank you, said with eye contact, smile and really meaning it at some motels. Others, the desk clerk does not make the eye to eye, could not appear more bored or mad or alternating between both. And feeling like an interruption, a nuisance, pain in the keester to the guy or gal standing on the other side of the service counter. That somehow the guy before me, myself and person behind me is making their job harder by showing up when we all did. Disturbing them and feeling like somehow er are all putting them out when just retrieving a reservation. Needing a shove, simple index finger point in the direction of my room and we’ll be out of your hair Mr Dale Carnegie – NOT.
In business, the tone of the phone call I use, the attitude of the approach when someone enters the office with a problem is everything.
And sensitivity to what is the expectation, situation I can help the buyer or seller of Maine real estate with always on my mind. Has to be or in the wrong business. Not going to keep the doors open long if anyone we are lucky enough to help buy or sell gets the cold shoulder.
So much of quality customer service means manners, willingness to work to meet the needs of others needing help. I am glad I was raised in Maine, taught skills to last a life time by parents who my appreciation for grows daily. Long after they have stopped the training. Left the Earth.
Maine, we keep it simple, life is spent mostly outdoors all four seasons. Come get lost, found by dissolving in Vacationland.
Paddling For All You Are Worth Until Command “HOLD ON” Hollered On A Fast, Noisy Maine River.
Road trip, just made a cross country one with youngest son who’s freshly graduated from college in Colorado Springs, CO.
The red jeep four of the kids learned to perfect driving skills in called Sally ran like a top. All the way back to Maine after the college graduation ceremonies died down, were completed. Small muffler hole started being noticed after crossing Kansas. But other than some added rumble stock car like noise. When rolling down the window to take a toll ticket or pay, settle up the fare. Covered a lot of ground easily. The music, company helped. It was all good as kids like to remind.
Over 5400 songs on the lap top for the ride back to Maine.
GPS course directions for the shortest route shouted out. Providing the least road construction sites to eye the jeep through the traffic needle. That would slow the drive time considerably if not avoided. Waved around. Saw lots of accidents on the way back across country. Worse one in Nebraska with a badly crippled, crinkled, tractor trailer truck on it’s side. Field dirt scraped, piled up inside filling the cab from the dangerous slide. Up the road laying still from a farm tractor pulling scattered equipment that had been hit hard. And you know there were fatalities. As up the road you see ambulances, fire trucks and more first responders show lights flashing. Sirens blaring, racing up the west bound highway heading back to the scene of the accident just witnessed.
The big screen lifted high messages. That you see on the open road that Maine without billboards does not have make you think. Do they distract or help with the boredom of 75 mile per hour speeds on straight as an arrow flat ribbons of multi lane roadway? With not much else of interest to look at but corn fields.
Picking up a traveler, tourist motel coupon booklet and the co pilot taking turns driving using the smart phone to get back to Maine.
To compare the Priceline hotel discount once a ten plus hour day of driving neared it’s end. And a bed is secured. To catch some ZZzzz’s, lay horizontal until the get up and do it again at daybreak. To again inch across the map of the country toward Maine.
Your kid’s music rubs off on you. And it is nice to see the selection on the hard drive includes lots of songs I played raising the kids. That they came to enjoy growing up. That are on playlists to tap tap and fire up. For background tunes to make the trip more enjoyable. For the times when conversation lulls. Or book reading shift for the co pilot break. While enjoying time away from the ten and two of the Jeep’s steering wheel.
Daft Punk’s latest album still playing in my head. So many good songs in a band that never stays the same, is always pushing for new, higher unchartered musical ground. Listening to the effects of Niles Roger’s Daft Punk influence on the tunes part of the ride west to east this road trip. Pharrell Williams adds his musical seasoning to the mix too!
