In small Maine towns, everyone is a public servant of sorts.

Because everything is not hired done. Doesn’t work that way when money is tight. And without a ground swell of local support not much would get done. That makes every small Maine town the special jewel that it is. But. What hurts the efforts is attitude.

Sometimes a person’s attitude sours because somehow they get resentful.

Thinking look how hard he or she is struggling and well, just not coming away from the toil feeling appreciated. But if they looked around, there are lots of unsung heroes working just as hard. But not complaining. Lack of kindness when folks are all just trying to help can make a tongue sharper, wag louder.

Tear up the list of complaints, put away the toxic negativity that plays in endless mental loops.

Like a hangover, shared with anyone that will listen. It one by one infects the sheep that can start to mimic the dialogue and chide in which derails the tasks at hand.

Puts everything pressing on hold for bring in the juicy gossip. At someone’s expense in the character defamation. The pick up a jagged stone, lob it into the fray destructive exercise.

Also, if the same person starts wondering why this, this and that citizen over there is not pitching in, give them some history lessons. Those folks did. For years knowing there is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer. And performed an admirable job too at the same task collection year after year. And have lightened their load in old age.

Or are still pretty selfless, dedicated in the many other ways a small Maine town with so much to do, so few to do it syndrome.

Give each other compliments.

Understand if personal issues, family pressures, health or financial hurdles cause a volunteer to pull back. And remember how much they have done over the years. Give them credit rather than criticism. Or worse, uncalled for snipes and gripes in public settings.

Or the behind the scenes round robin personal attacks. Get hand cranked up. Like old fashioned air raid warnings sounding eerily. When bomber planes, V-2 rockets were heard approaching over head. Wasting time with emails, phone calls, behind the scenes personal visits that are libel, slanderous. Sap, suck the energy out of a small Maine town.

Efforts not germane to the problems at hand begging for attention. But some people enjoy the manufactured dirt, slinging manure. That does excites them but does nothing to help the small Maine town with plenty of neglected work to do.

When problems begging for well thought out solutions are needed. The time and attention wasted dedicated to personal attacks is crazy. Because eventually you hear the whispers. From others that get tired of the venom. Searching for the antidote from the bitch and complain diet.

And mutter “is there anyone he or she actually likes, approves of in this small Maine town?”

Blaming eenie meenie miney moe who are just trying to help out. But like a cat with the nervous tail showing building irritation. Or the horse with yellow teeth bared, ears pointed back toward the tail end. Watch out, scratching, biting, kicking is about to unleash.

Your workers in a small Maine town have all kinds of needed talents.

The best player on a sport’s team is not always an asset. If he or she points out how good they are for attention. How crappy the rest of the squad is for anyone that will listen. When you add up the storm of negativity that comes with the primadonna being on the bench. The team would be better off in the long run if they were not taking up team space in and out of the game.

Why they do it? The person may be spoiled, burned out, bitter or a snob, self centered. Or just plain unhappy, lonely. Needing control. Whatever the reason. The score ends up a negative number when the smoke settles at sunset. Because of the cuts, bruises, sucker punch poor treatment if you get too close to the put down judgement radiation cutting torch flame.

Where it can feel like on a battlefield was where most of the suddenly uphill day was spent.

Taking its toll in the body count casualty pile up of victims of the tiring hit and run verbal attacks. That sap the energy of goodwill and creativity. Where some volunteers wave the white flag and quit. Where everyone left on board in smaller numbers feels the tense atmosphere in the tip toeing.

Labeling, calling the day a success if at least there was no bloodshed. If folks work hard enough to limit the damage and isolate, contain the elephant in the room.

The bull trying to head for the china closet. That always sees red and nothing you can seem to do about it. To stop the snorting, put a smile not a sneer on the face of the crossed arm not so approachable. Who vacillates somewhere between annoyed and irritated about something, anything on a given day.

Stand back. Hand me a couple cartridges. Pass that tranquilizer gun will you please? Sadly, you notice, end up enjoying the cease fire. When a few meetings happen and the hurricane “take no prisoners” personality is missing from a group work session. And so much gets done because all the energies are channeled in a positive cohesive way. Don’t have to fire up the force field deflector shields wasting resources just to protect the group cohesion, it’s integrity.

Give of yourself and expect nothing in return works best.

It makes it an unconditional love situation with the small Maine town the beneficiary. No fault approach to making it better than it was because of all the individuals that populate it.

Pitching in, helping out and contributing to life in the small Maine town. Peace is more important than being right. Going along to get along. Most battles are not worth fighting over unless your ego won’t allow the wasted opportunity for a witch hunt. Off with someone’s head. Find a tree and toss up the rope.

Training your brain to see the good in others.

A healthy habit to adopt and show your family, that snowballs.

Can be like wildfire in a good way that sparks the small Maine town. And if you have to be critical, fight the battles within to seek the peace outside. For you and others.

To diffuse the tension, the egg shells others have to walk on. Trying to contain the hostility. That can not be bottled up and corked without an intervention of many for the good of the small Maine town.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com