She's a Maine-iac!

I've been lucky enough to move around some and do some traveling. I grew up in Maine, lived in Washington, D.C. for the better part of my 20s and moved to California, where I have lived ever since, on a whim when I was 27.  There were things I loved about each of these places and things I never got used to.  I think my time in these places and the people I knew when I lived in them have, in part, defined who I am now.  I am grateful for my experiences. In the next series of blogs, I'm going to tell you a little about each of these places from my perspective.  It might give some of you a better understanding of who I am.  It might just be an interesting read and a look into a place you've never been. And so it begins...

I remember growing up in a time less complicated.  We were safe.  We played outside until the street lights came on.  Atari was a luxury and we were allowed less than hour a day to play it (and not every day - that stuff will rot your brain for goodness sake!).  We never played it during the day. We were busy!!  We ate breakfast and then were off to knock on doors and collect our friends.  When our parents needed us, they stood on the porch and hollered our names (and we came running). My childhood consisted of sledding on the hill in our backyard, picking berries and rhubarb and eating them before they were washed, playing games of football and kickball in the street in front of our house with the other neighbor kids. We never worried about cars. They worried about us. People were kind and we lived slowly.  We rode our bikes and swam in the Saco River (pronounced RIVAH) all summer long. We spent time "upta" camp!  Swimming in the lake and enjoying times with our parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles.

As we got older, our interests changed.  We played sports to keep us busy and active after school, were in the drama club to inspire our imaginations, attended football games EVERY Friday (rain or shine, ice or snow).  We hung out with our friends in places we shouldn't have been and our parents would have lost their damn minds "if they only knew."  We had JOBS! If you wanted to drive a car or have your own, you had to earn money to pay for gas. It taught us the value of a dollar. It taught us that we had to WORK for the things we wanted. The world did not owe us anything.

I loved the seasons in Maine.  Yes, even winter!  I loved watching snow fall and praying for snow days.  I loved sledding and skiing and skating.  I loved hot chocolate and the smell of the fireplace...or a wood stove...a big old cast iron wood stove!

Summers were hot and spring brought allergies, but FALL, OH BEAUTIFUL fall. We lived for fall.  There is not a sight more beautiful than fall in New England.  The gorgeous golds and reds. The brisk but not cold weather.  Sweatahhhh weather!  The leaves falling. Jumping in piles of leaves we spent hours raking.  Happy, gorgeous fall.

New Englanders are abrasive at times.  We call 'em how we see 'em.  We are honest.  If you want to know the truth...ask us. If you want someone to blow smoke up your ass...ask someone else. It's cold in Maine 50% of the year. We're grumpy.  We don't have time to coddle you!!!  Our friends are our family.  Don't mess with them or you'll deal with ALL of us.  We are fiercely loyal.  Loyal like puppies.  We won't lie to you and we won't let anyone hurt you if we can help it. My girlfriends from Maine are my sisters. I am still friends with the same people I was friends with in second grade.  Distance doesn't change that.  We don't need to speak every day to know we love each other.  If we don't speak for months, we pick up right where we left off. I am connected to these people.  Our hearts and mouths speak the same language.

New Englanders LOVE their sports teams! We are Red Sox Nation!  The Patriots, the Celtics and the Bruins...GOOOOOOO TEAM!!!  Not all of my friends from New England are Pats or Red Sox fans (they lost their way but I forgive them)...but whoever they root for...they root hard!!  We defend our sports teams... sometimes with ridiculous arguments...but our teams are WICKED good and our loyalty kicks in when we feel they need defending! I have the MLB, NBA and NFL packages at my house. I see as many Red Sox, Celtics and Pats games as I can. I may not live in New England anymore...but these teams NEED my support!!!

We love our parents and our siblings. We value these connections.  I haven't lived in Maine in almost 20 years and I still talk to my Mum daily and usually more than once.  You don't?  This makes no sense to me. I'm not judging you for it. I just don't understand it.

I grew up in Maine.  Maine is where my family is.  It is where many of my closest friends still reside.  These are the people who "get" me in a way that others do not.  I miss Maine and if I thought I could make a good living there, and could convince my husband that winter doesn't actually equal DEATH, I would move back in a heartbeat. I cherish the memories of my childhood and revisit them often. Ahhhh, Maine...the way life should be. I love Maine and the people from Maine.  Part of my heart will always live there.

FOR THOUGHT:  Where does your heart live?  Who are the people that understand things about you that others can't?  Do you cherish the memories of your childhood or did you always pray you'd some day escape them?