Back then, way back then, on a hot summer day in Washington, D.C. you could sell a slice of watermelon from a barrel of ice water on the street for a dollar, and you could buy a truckload of watermelon in the summer in Georgia, Florida or Alabama for 10 cents apiece. So we did. […]

Two years ago, I was presenting my Historian’s Report at the Kennebunk Fire Society’s annual dinner and meeting. My topic included the events and emotions leading up to Massachusetts’ decision to give up Maine as a part of the 1820 Missouri Compromise. That’s a pretty dry subject, even for a retired U.S. history teacher, especially […]

Always calm and resolute in the face of impending danger, chaos or the unknown, with a faint smile on his face, my father could have served as a great leader for many folks in times of fear and trouble. His presence and bearing always gave me comfort when I was fearful and uncertain. I asked […]

Last week, I described the four waves of COVID’s demoralizing ups and downs — steep and rapid on the upside and slo-mo declines on the back side. We did have a brief time between June and the first week of August, when we began to believe the stars were moving into alignment for us. New […]

For Mark Twain, “a good walk spoiled” was a game of golf. For me, it’s an earworm. I’ll explain. I meet my tribe every morning. We don’t gather in a teepee or confer around the campfire. We meet on the streets, flagging our solidarity of purpose with a quick nod, a terse greeting, or a […]

I recently attended an event at Portland City Hall for a nonprofit organization called Protect Our Care. The group’s mission is to spread the word about the importance of improving our health care system and making sure all people have access to the quality care they need. Its current campaign started in Maine, which, I […]