Those of us who fastidiously follow current events are justified in feeling overwhelmed by the sheer scale of disheartening news about our communities and the wider world. But last Sunday night’s Tyler Childers show at Thompson’s Point – graced by the most glorious weather Maine has to offer – served as an effective reminder of the goodness we can create.

Hundreds of strangers celebrated the surprise proposal by one member of the crowd, and the acceptance by her soon-to-be bride, for no other reason than we happened to occupy the same space. Others immediately jumped in to help when a young man and later a young woman collapsed, while still others helped form a corridor out of the densely packed crowd to make sure they got to immediate medical assistance.

We mourned the popular bluegrass performer’s tribute to a close friend who had recently died, and collectively celebrated the kind of moving music that brings so many people together – and inspires them to watch out for one another.

Good reasons exist to feel pessimism about the direction of our communities. Gatherings like this one remind us why we should keep trying to do something about it.

Paul Shinkman
Brunswick

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