Mainer's are Rich

Last night I read the cutest story to my son called “The Fish House Door” by Robert Baldwin. The main character is a young Maine boy named Shawn. He comes from a long line of lobstermen and for generation after generation they would paint their buoys and then wipe the paint brush clean on this old door on the fish house. The young boy and his family think nothing of this rickety old door until a city art dealer comes for summer vacation and offers them a lot of money to buy the door. For the first time, Shawn and his father stop and study the door and appreciate it for what it is. It is the documentation of years of unintentional tradition that is truly priceless.

Maine is so unique. Mainers have generations of traditions in the same old sleepy towns. Mainers are humble and frugal. We are rooted in tradition and bonded by our values. Ask any local and they have 100 cousins down the street, their grandparents owned the general store in the 50’s, and their ancestors founded the town in the 1700s. Most who leave come back. There must be something about it, like that fish house door that we just don’t see. We get tired from our hard days work in the woods, on the boat, or in the field and we wonder if it would be easier some where else. Could we make more money, shovel less snow, fight less mud? We seriously could, but we stay anyways. There is something about it that is attractive and beautiful from the outside looking in, even if we don’t see it. Tourists flock here and are so curious about Maine life. They try to replicate it on snowy slopes, lake side chalets, and ocean side mansions. They try to buy the Maine way, but its not for sale.

The country has a lot to learn from our beautiful culture. Mainers have figured out how to be traditional yet progressive. We bake for our neighbors, we stop by unannounced, our doors are always open. We play cards, we still make phone calls. Mainers have hard shells…. a little hard to crack, but once you have earned a Mainer’s trust, you’re family. Every thing is earned, and never free. That cute story about Shawn and his father just made my heart smile with appreciation for the life we live. We are the richest of the rich. We have something that is precious, something many seek, but cannot buy.

I have learned that the strongest bonds develop during mutual suffering or struggle. My best and deepest relationships have developed while taking care of sick patients, caring for dying loved ones, and struggling to maintain an industry. Like everyone, the logging industry has had a year full of challenges but loggers, like fishermen and farmers are bonded by our challenges. We may be direct competitors but we cheer each other on, lend a hand or advice. There’s no other people I’d rather worry about rain, equipment breakdowns, pandemics, mill closures, and payroll with than the Maine logging community.