Tales from Rural Maine: Free range

While on the phone this morning discussing with Smith's career counselor the particular challenges and advantages of launching a new career from rural Maine, the doorbell rang and standing there in the snow, which we haven't shoveled yet, was a smiling high school classmate with the gift of a dozen eggs. She would not accept any money for them and simply said that her mom hoped I'd like them. Regardless of where my career goes while here in Bucksport, at least we shall have fresh eggs. (And another friend dropped off a cord of wood earlier this winter.) Also of note: I answered the door in my long underwear.

Yoga with Naomi: Find your courage and come

At the end of class on Monday, after our closing OM and “Namaste,” my students burst into spontaneous applause. This has never happened to me before and it was delightful, especially since two of the students were taking their first ever yoga class that day.

I talked with a young woman recently who says she wants to come to yoga, but she is afraid. I tried to tell her she need not be, but I think sometimes you cannot argue with fear. You must trust that it is real and then offer it your courage. If you or someone you know is considering trying yoga, but feeling afraid, tell them this: Yoga with Naomi is a conduit for healing and loving energy. It is a time to connect with your own inherent goodness and your own natural, beautiful breath. For those who come and open their hearts, there is nothing to fear, but joy itself. Say to your friends what I said to this beautiful young woman, “Find your courage and come. It will be okay.”  

(It might even feel so good that you burst into applause when you are done...)

Yes, definitely

Before class recently, I asked one of my regular students, who was totally new to yoga a few short weeks ago, how her body was feeling. She paused for a moment and then asked, "Is it possible for yoga to make you less tense?" I smiled. "Yes, definitely."
"Even after just a few classes?" she asked.
I smiled deeper. "Yes, definitely."
She went on to tell me that she has always been tense and thought that this was just her natural, unalterable state of being. She named herself a tense person and carried on with life. But then she started doing yoga with me. And almost immediately, she became a significantly less tense person. She loves the way she feels so much that her sister tells me she’s considering becoming a yogi. I would say she already is one.
“Really?” you might ask…Yes, definitely.

Tales from Rural Maine: Sunrise breakfast

I've started hanging out at the senior center with my grandmother recently. Her husband, the love of her life, passed away last year, so she's on her own and I started going to lunch with her because I wanted to do something to help her feel less alone. But I immediately began to love the experience for its own sake.


We eat lunch at 11:30, but other than that it's great. The food's fantastic and it's only $4 for a delicious home-cooked meal. Because we live in a small town, *of course* the meals are prepared by the former stepfather and half-sister of a high school friend/ex-boyfriend of mine. On my first visit, my grandmother took me back to the kitchen so I could say "hi" and while I felt shy about it, it turned out to be wonderful.


I see people there--like my other grandmother and the parents of high school friends--that are so happy to see me, and I them. And I have all these new friends there now. Like Jeannie, who is in her 80s and always brings a container so she can take half her lunch home for later. We say a prayer before every meal, usually something we can sing set to a familiar melody, like Jingle Bells ("Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, for this food today.") We pledge allegiance to the flag and I always get all teary and choked up during that part. 


I love America. I can never say the Pledge without feeling the beauty and sacrifice that went into creating this great democratic republic. Where some people might keep a Bible in their nightstands, I keep a pocket copy of the Constitution signed by Dennis Kucinich. But, I digress.


I generally drink coffee at the senior center because the meal is so early in the day, but there is always something sweetly kindergarten-like to choose from, as well, like lemonade or sparkly pink drink.


I've started dragging Pete with me to the senior lunches. Because they happen at 11:30, he calls them "sunrise breakfasts."


I finally realized: being unemployed is like being a senior citizen. I'm on a fixed income, but I have all the time in the world. And it feels really nice to have something planned in your day, like a sunrise breakfast, if for no other reason than to have a chance to visit and smile and eat something nutritious, delicious and affordable in the company of friends.

Tales from Rural Maine: The crime report

One of my favorite pastimes here in rural Maine is reading the crime reports in our various local papers. From the 12/22 edition of the Ellsworth American: "(Winter Harbor) A 71-year-old woman told police Nov. 22 that her pocketbook was missing from her car, police said. Police said the woman told them she had gone to the bank and other businesses on Main Street then took a walk. Police said the woman called a few days later to say she found her purse at home. Police received a complaint Nov. 21 that careless deer hunters were driving over lawns at homes on Grindstone Neck, police said. Police said they spotted two hunters in the area and the men agreed to be more careful...A man from Old Town complained to police Dec 8 that he had received a birthday card from a man in Winter Harbor despite an order by police that the two not contact each other, police said. Police said they told the local man that no contact means absolutely no contact." Also there were two accidental calls to 911 and someone had trouble entering his alarm code at his home on Deep Cove. (After living much of my adult life in major metropolitan areas, I find it charming and very nearly comforting that these things rate as criminal concerns.)