Desire, passion, drive that burns deep down inside fueled by being in Maine full time where you want to live.
But the fire in your belly is not just spiked when someone rubs you the wrong way. Or because of anger, frustration, jealousy or thoughts of just lashing out, retaliation. No no, because to begin with, in the simple living of Maine, there are too few of us in the sparsely populated state.
Wasted emotion is like spent blue sky, bright daylight not used when the hay should have been cut.
Then the tedder needs to spring into gear. To speed up the drying for the all important to feed the livestock this Maine winter hay bale making. Removing moisture in the loose hay. So spontaneous combustion from wet hay does not heat up and end up destroying your entire set of Maine farm buildings. One by one. Ashes to ashes for the all she wrote.
Wasted emotion is as bad as apathy.
Like intelligence untapped is sadder just not having marbles to use. Nothing on the meter showing for any degree of ommph, fire in the belly to complete a task or lead to effective needed change if all the energy wasted with upset arguing back biting. For solutions needed, facing small Maine towns. When the economic hose develops several kinks that threaten survival. The unique flame that burns brightly in any small Maine town that is always home grown, freshly squeezed special in its own distinctive way.
But all the Maine towns, handful of cities facing the same problems of over spending, wasting resources and duplication of services that can not continue. For the health, long term survival of any small Maine town. Or the sixteen counties, the state of Maine as a whole. Before it becomes “no job, no paycheck, no Maine town”.
So how to inject more fire in the belly enthusiasm to combat apathy in a small Maine town?
Love for the small Maine town threaten with extinction means “love will build a bridge, find a way”. A shift from over taxation, restrictive legislative rule making that strangles small Maine business. And state, county, local government officials developing more of a want to help, how can we attitude.
Maine is known for moose, lobsters, lighthouses, crystal clean water, vast woods, memorable vacations. But on the dart board of business friendly, Maine is no where near the center. Hanging out on the very edge. A skinny, slim, narrow fringe of the outer region cork. That can all change when the light bulb comes on over everyone’s head. Especially tax payers fed up, that have had more than enough.
And together a collective goal of changing that climate, business atmosphere happens quickly. So it is time for everyone to get to work. So the economic vital signs improve, show better statistics on the medical clipboard during daily rounds, review, scrutiny. Too many agendas of a few to fill part of it.
Bickering, bruised egos and just not working together part of the disease too. But also a Christmas list of nose bleed high level of services that Maine just can not longer afford has to be chain-sawed across the board. It’s gonna hurt but not just in a few areas. Easing back the spending throttle completely has to happen. Because we’re losing altitude, falling behind the other states, And there are several Mt Katahdin’s showing up in the pilot’s windshield ahead. That we may not clear with our lowered landing gear with a blinking, buzzing out of jet fuel warning that limits the dwindling correction options.
Like pruning a fruit tree, weeding a crowded, stunted vegetable garden section.
Removing dead and dying wood, the over story in a dense woodlot. So the rest can flourish. To become highly efficient and productive, vibrant which is what all Maine towns used to be when left alone to just work hard. Do great things on the local level and shine brightly. New technology, a shift in job markets makes the terrain steeper, slippery and time sensitive. But the cost of doing business, the quick sand of red tape in Maine is overburdening the little red hen employer creating much needed jobs. Communication, surveys from the existing businesses in Maine will develop the check list of what needs overhaul, the overdue streamlining.
The greater good of a small Maine community involves collaboration with other towns, school systems.
To find shared problems. To hammer out common solutions together. Fiercely independent Maine town spirit is a beautiful and dangerous condition at the same time if not tempered. Reined in, modified and redirected. The correction starts at the bottom, the 108 small Maine towns. Not waiting to see change from Washington, on the state level trickle down too little too late. It’s do or die time. We have hay to make.
Get involved, become educated on the issues, help in developing a plan of attack. Armed with fire in your belly. Maybe a distemper shot from a local vet for the apathy you may suffer from too. Kick yourself in the pants, stop shooting ourselves in both feet by arguing, being petty if not everyone shares the same “what to we do” suggestion. The initial frustration, sulking, discouragement has no place to roost. Serves no good.
As all Mainers learn to see with more than their eyes.
Not just the obvious visuals. But their wallet, heart, love and passion for their small Maine town way of life. Their kids that would come back if there was something to return to make a living, raise a family and to help continue for the next generation. Rev it up, throw it into gear. Develop fire in your belly but not the kind from Frank’s hot sauce. The stuff oozing out near your soul, places not many people get to see, that you may not know you have either. Until push leads to shove to knock it off stalled dead center.
Pitch in, stay positive, help out.
When you read, watch something in the news that does not help Maine move in the right direction, does not offer solutions but is discouraging negative or mean spirited, make a call. Correct misinformation on myths, half truths that get sensationalized. Send an email, write a letter. Pay a visit. Improving things any way you can starts with yours, my attitude right? The fire in our belly. In whatever way, shape, form it presents itself for a need in a small Maine town, village, burg, step up. Focus on your individual talents, where your efforts first. That snow ball into an entire community stepping up, triggering a town wide change that causes movement no longer mired in the mud in a new direction.
Maine, big, beautiful, all natural, unfiltered. But needing a healthy local economy to keep each corner of Vacationland alive and well.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com