This week we have the unfortunate task of reporting the deaths of three teenagers in two separate accidents in Boothbay and Waldoboro. One accident or the other seems to come up in almost every conversation we have had or have heard over the past week.
Like you, we have heard the talk.
Invariably, as people try to process what happened, discussion moves on to some variety of coulda woulda shoulda. If they had done this, that wouldn’t have happened. If those kids hadn’t been there, then this would have been different.
Unfortunately, that is all just so much talk. What happened did and we are left to consider the unthinkable.
The bottom line is, everybody you meet has made an ill-considered decision at some point in their life; every one of us has made a foolish, potentially catastrophic choice somewhere along the way, and most of us are fortunate to grow old enough to realize just how stupid or lucky we were.
This should be the week we talk about anniversaries.
Wednesday, Aug. 6, marks the 69th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. Saturday, Aug. 9 will mark the same anniversary for the bombing of Nagasaki. As far as epic, history-turning events go, you don’t get much bigger than unleashing the single most destructive force man has ever created.
Somehow our local news seems a bigger deal than that.
Closer to home, Aug. 9 also marks the 42nd North Nobleboro Day, and the 62nd annual Olde Bristol Days, both highlights of the Lincoln County summer calendar and an indication September is nigh.
This should be the week we talk about community and family.
Instead we are left with three deaths, families that will never be the same, and a community still struggling to come to grips.
