Mainers are famous for playing down Maine’s famously and fickle bad weather. Blizzard shuts down half the country? “‘Tweren’t nuthin’,” your average Mainer says.
Deep freeze turns every outdoor excursion into a race against frostbite. “Good ice fishing weather.”
Summer heat bakes crops in the ground and leaves the flag listlessly hanging off the pole? “Could be hotter,” is the standard response which, when delivered in the classic fashion, is usually accompanied by expectorant and a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders.
Mainers are known for their stoic, taciturn nature today probably because that was the kind of attitude it took to carve a life out of what was once rugged wilderness.
Time was, when the weather was unduly harsh, you just shrugged your shoulders and made do. Life is hard. Complaining isn’t going to get the hay in, or the cows milked any faster.
One tradition that was established from the earliest days of this country to now is the tradition of neighbor helping neighbor. Years before there were state and federal resources in the offing, individuals relied on their families and beyond that, their neighbors, the community, for support.
Here in Lincoln County we still have a strong sense of community. Most people still know their neighbors at least by sight, if not by name, and most of us remain living here precisely because of this trait.
We may have moved past the point where we need to be as determinedly tough as our forebears, and there are more resources available to help those in need, but when it comes to neighbor helping neighbor, a little bit goes a long way.
We will always recommend a donation to the local food pantry. One extra purchase in your shopping cart is one less expense for the food pantry and one more meal for someone who needs it.
There is also the Community Energy Fund, the local nonprofit launched by three leading community members in 2005 to help direct heating resources to those in need in Lincoln County. Donations can be earmarked for a specific use and all those dollars are put to use locally.
People who need services from the fund are advised to contact their town office first. For more information about the fund please contact the Community Energy Fund of Lincoln County P.O. Box 40, Bristol, 04539 or call 563-3883.
