I’ve led a pretty quiet life, so I was concerned that there wouldn’t be much to put in my obituary in the local paper. I have a long-suffering wife, no kids, the same job for over 36 years. Of course, I like to play cribbage and I’m an avid Red Sox fan — pretty boring.
I thought, I’m an eighth generation Mainer, proud of my roots, I want to visit every town in Maine. You always meet someone boasting, “I’ve been everywhere in Maine.” I wanted to go everywhere and have proof.
There are 454 incorporated towns and cities in Maine. I decided to go to all of them, find the Town Office, and document my visit with a selfie. It started on a hiking trip on Isle Au Haut. I thought, I’m not going to be back here anytime soon, better get a pic of me at the Town Office. My friend Bill Smith took that one, the only non-selfie.
With my wife Mary, a very capable and patient navigator, the Maine Atlas & Gazetteer and Google Maps, we have since covered thousands of miles to every corner of the state. In early 2020, we bought a 2006 Porsche Boxster. Great road-trip car, can't ask for better on a lovely summer day cruising with the top down, and it’s a great conversation starter. We have seen beautiful sights, unusual places, and talked to delightful people.
So, when someone says, “have you ever been to Bowerbank, or Meddybemps, or Beaver Cove, or Westmanland?”…
"Ayuh, I’ve been there."
And then there was that time I got carjacked. . .