My father enlisted late in World War II and by the time his troopship arrived in the Philippines, the war was all but over. He spent about six months there, saw no conflict and returned home to Maine with a few souvenir Japanese swords and a bad case of malaria. Before he arrived home, my […]
Meetinghouse
Posted inMeetinghouse, Opinion
A cat’s rebellion threatens homecoming
We’d flown since early morning from Seattle’s SeaTac Airport, via Detroit, then Boston and finally home to Portland. It’s late. I’m tired and hungry. You don’t get anything to eat on the later flights. Not even a peanut. Home after Christmas. Our headlights cascade down a long, winding, driveway piled three feet deep with snow. […]
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Posted inMeetinghouse, Opinion
‘Home’ can be delivered to your doorstep every morning
There are all kinds of home. There’s the home you enjoy without thought when you’re a kid, the first apartment you decorate alone, and the house you share later on with those you love. If you’re lucky, you’ll have more than one home at a time – a job that feels just right, and a […]
Posted inMeetinghouse, Opinion
First an escape, then the long trip back
Growing up in Anson, I couldn’t wait to escape. A nearby Carnegie library proved there was a more exciting world out there. A high school so small it took five towns and two unorganized townships to exist was hardly that bigger world. Even then I was living an Eagles refrain: “I’m already gone.” College in […]
Posted inMeetinghouse, Opinion
Dad and an angel, waiting for me
The Anderson Christmas angel was simple. She was not a store-bought porcelain doll. Her simple starched lace dress held the round head made of wood. Her hair, eyes and slight smile were painted on. Her halo and arms were shiny gold pipe cleaners. Her wings were of gold tin foil. The trumpet she played joyously […]
Posted inMeetinghouse, Opinion
On the last lap, and heading home
There’s no denying I’m on my last lap and heading home. I’m healthy and happy, but I know I’m edging closer. I enjoy telling family stories. Mistakenly and often I think my children and grandchildren will find it interesting to hear them. My stories are met with eye rolls. Clearly I am a dinosaur. Thus, […]
Posted inMeetinghouse, Opinion
A song calls a stranger home
In 1994, in the wake of major life changes, I fulfilled a dream I’d held since 1963 and volunteered for the United States Peace Corps. My deep belief in the Corps and the trust shown me in the selection process laid my path to Poland, four years after the Berlin Wall fell. After training, I […]
Posted inMeetinghouse, Opinion
A familiar drive can be full of surprises
It was the winter of 1974-75 and I was a freshman at University of Maine/Farmington. I was riding home to Tewksbury, Mass., with Dave, who lived in nearby Billerica. It was snowing when we left after his last class on Friday. When I got into his Chevy, Dave muttered, “I’m not sure how good my […]
Posted inMeetinghouse, Opinion
Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the long road to America
My ambition to live in the United States comes from my childhood. Many reasons forced people to change their home. In my case, nothing pushed me to leave home. People often ask me why I chose America and a U.S. citizen as my husband. I simply answer that I fell in love with my husband, […]
Posted inMeetinghouse, Opinion
A journey of joy, if only in imagination
I was born and grew up in Congo-Brazzaville, a country located in Central Africa. It has been three years since I have left my country in difficult conditions. I had to move for safety reasons and, I am currently living peacefully in the United States. I always remember that day of October 24, 2015 standing […]