I have a bit of a crush.

I met a man last Tuesday, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him. But it’s harmless. It’s not exactly a crush in the traditional sense.

Allow me to explain …

The Maine Legislature is in the final stretch, deliberating bills that stand to impact almost every Mainer like background checks for private gun sales, and paid family and medical leave. Lawmakers have been working overtime voting on some of the most controversial bills in years. They’ve debated extending MaineCare to noncitizens, and disputed whether teens should have access to gender-affirming care without parental consent. While sparring over an abortion expansion bill, they argued whose opinion should be weighed more heavily: a medical professional’s or the opinions of those occupying the State House?

Clearly, I’ve been steeped in Maine politics for the last few weeks. I’ve been watching livestreams of the House and the Senate. I’ve been lobbying some legislators at the last minute, sending messages of support and gratitude in the wee hours of the night. And a very select few received texts.

So, this stretch has felt a bit like a cross between finals week and Super Bowl Sunday. I’ve had multiple tabs open on my computer, toggling between the House and the Senate chambers. I’ve even used my car’s Bluetooth to listen to sessions in stereo. To be sure, many of these debates over the years have left me banging my head, but this year has been maddening. Lawfully employed and taxpaying non-citizens were called “illegal.” A senator quoted C.S. Lewis on tyranny while debating “nanny-state items of legislation.” And a representative used “science and reason” to discount medical professionals’ conclusions. (As if medicine is no longer scientific and its conclusions are not based on reason, right?)

Then on Tuesday, I drove to Bangor. Listening to the Senate debate L.D. 1916, the bill to expand access to post-viability abortions, my heart rate was steadily increasing. Overall, I was frustrated by the lack of sound reasoning in the debate. Later, when I heard the Senate debate L.D. 535, a senator suggested that gender-affirming care makes someone “broken,” I was incensed.

That’s when I pulled up to the Citgo gas station on Stillwater Avenue and Hogan Road in Bangor. That’s where I met Melvin.

I pulled up, and he walked to my window. His red uniform shirt identified his name. Then I realized it was a full-service station. Melvin flashed a smile, and my anger and frustration instantly vanished. And then I realized I didn’t have cash for a tip. I was mortified. I apologized, and Melvin assured me it wasn’t a problem. He then proceeded to wash my windows. I promised to return sometime soon and tip him double, though it’s uncertain when since I wasn’t a local. I can’t remember what he said next, but we both laughed. And then I drove home.

On my drive, I tried to listen to the Senate debate again but was distracted by Melvin. And I’ve been thinking about him all week. I don’t want to mislead you. He’s a distinguished gentleman who I’m sure would turn heads in a tuxedo. But it wasn’t his looks that had me preoccupied.

I had been in a snit of a mood about the Maine Legislature but was forced to take a breath and remembered that there are good people in the world. Who knows if Melvin was having a good or bad day? Maybe his mantra is he’s paid to put a smile on his face, but if that’s the case, someone, please hand him an Oscar. Because that two- or three-minute interaction changed me. He emanated joy. He was kind. Instead of a transaction, it was a genuine interaction. And it mattered.

Since meeting Melvin, I’ve gone back to rewatch some of the legislative debates. I’m still dismayed by some of what I’ve heard. But I’m also in awe of a lot of lawmakers. Many shared very personal stories. I know without a doubt that the ability to work together is always made easier when we see each other as people first, and adversaries second.

I hope that after the legislative session is over, and the “wins and losses” are counted, legislators will consider the real win isn’t about how many of “their” bills were enacted. It’s whether Mainers have been served. For all the talk about helping “babies survive,” I know we agree all Mainers deserve to thrive. That includes non-citizens, low-income earners, minorities, caregivers, the disabled, the homeless, and people battling drug addiction.

As for my crush on Melvin. I’m planning to go back to Bangor next week, and you bet I’ll offer him an appropriate thank you for his work. If you’re in the area, stop by and tell him Hilary sent you.

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