Ceremony

Station Maine's crew had the privilege during the Lobster Festival of dressing as pirates and landing Blackbeard the Pirate for the opening ceremonies of the festival.  It seems a silly thing, and in all reality it is silly, and that's the point.  We could all have gone on about our normal day and been, well, normal.  Like anyone in Utah or Ohio or Delaware.  But we live on the coast of Maine.  We live in the lobster capital of the world.

Taking these few days to dress in costume and eat lobster makes us different.  It makes us us.  We are Mainers.  Mid Coast Mainers.  We crown a Sea Goddess, not a Corn or Soy Princess.  We celebrate our uniqueness and in doing so draw ourselves together as a community.  When we as a community make it a point to include our children and youth in this frivolity, the Cod Carry, the Lobster Crate Race, the Pirate boat that lands Blackbeard, we pass on to our youth this sense of belonging to something special.  Some place special.  Our children and youth can ground their lives in knowing that wherever they travel they are part of the rockbound coast of Maine.