Recently in our home we’ve had a lot of conversations about culture and our identity within it. As a nation, we seem to be neck deep in this question: Who are we really? Can we hold on to the truths we once deemed self-evident and do the hard work to bring those into being? Or […]
Forecaster Opinion
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Life Unwound: Presence can interrupt the negative narrative
As soon as one of my dear friends posts on Facebook about her “sad and complicated life,” I think, “She must be doing what she and I discuss a lot: telling herself stories.” How often do we do that? And how often are those stories negative about ourselves? About what we do wrong and how […]
advertisement
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Sustainably Speaking: Oyster farming is farming for our future
Oyster farming appealed to me for many reasons, chief among them how inherently sustainable growing oysters for food is. Sea farming is often tucked under the larger “fisheries” umbrella because we go to work on the sea in boats and come back with food to sell. But there are big differences between the work of […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Through My Lens: Earning the right to vote makes us patriots
It is election season in our country and one critical message is needed in the information we provide to the newly naturalized community members as well as others who have become Americans through the naturalization process: We have earned the right to vote. We must vote as if we fought a war and won, that we […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Banned books broaden our horizons
Banned Books Week, the American Library Association’s annual celebration of the right to read, has come to a close. What a party it was! A book party is always a good idea: stirring up imaginations, starting conversations, providing inspiration. Shining a spotlight on attempts at censorship – that’s just extra fabulous. Recently, despite calling ourselves […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Life Unwound: Maybe accepting ‘good enough’ is a superpower
We did it, my friend Sarah and I. She started it. I never would have. Too embarrassed. Not good enough. I should be better than I am, more advanced after all these years of studying French. On our walk on Portland’s wide-open panoramic Eastern Prom, big enough for all the mistakes we would make, spacious […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: One man’s ascent to a generosity of spirit
Back in college, one of the first items of clothing to become a mainstay of my new Acadia hiking life was my beloved gray henley-style snap Patagonia fleece. Granted, it didn’t start out as mine. It belonged to a friend. But after several “borrowings,” it eventually took up residence in my closet full time. I […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Portland Superintendent’s Notebook: Supporting the United Way helps students grow
Portland frequently makes national lists as one of the best places to live and work, but that’s not always true for everyone in our community. Opportunity gaps lead to some students struggling to succeed in school, hardworking families can’t afford housing and other basic necessities, and many of our fellow citizens suffer from preventable health […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Through My Lens: All in Maine, including immigrants, should take in fall splendor
In a few weeks the cooler temperatures of fall will start rolling in and I am itching for outdoor firepits and chilly nights, sipping hot chocolate and eating s’mores. Such an American thing, you say? In fact, during the rare rainy seasons in Somalia, we celebrated the start of rain by breaking out jackets and […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Loan forgiveness benefits many more than just students
My parents are both children of the Great Depression. All through my childhood I heard stories about what that time of hardship was like. I heard about how hard it was to find food, about my grandmother buying cuts of meat for the family that she used to consider cat food, about my grandfather working […]