12 Steps Towards Better Anonymous Living, Bean Suppers, and Other Assorted Attractions

People who chance upon "Life in Maine" often do so as a result of searching for information, any information, on Maine. Some are coming to visit, some are looking to move here, and some simply hope to relive, at least remotely, a treasured vacation memory. And although I like to think that these essays provide some useful information for such searchers, if you really want to learn about Maine, you need to check out the "happenings" section in the local paper. It is here, among the church suppers, Alcoholic's Anonymous meetings, and Christmas fair listings, that you acquire a true sense of place. This is the real Maine - the way we live, work, play, and come to grips with our fallibilities.

Let's take a look, for instance, at the "Coming Attractions" section in the Waldo Independent, a weekly newspaper serving Belfast and surrounding towns in Waldo County. One of the most interesting things to note is the wide variety of so-called "12 Step" programs that are offered in the area. Belfast boasts a population of about 6500 people, and the population of the entire county is around 35,000. A tiny blip in the overall scheme of things, yet "Coming Attractions" lists the following 12-Step programs:

Al-Anon
Smokers Anonymous
Narcotic Anonymous
Overeaters Anonymous
Co-dependents Anonymous
Sex, Love Addicts Anonymous
Debtors Anonymous

Clearly, not all is as it seems in the bucolic hills and fields of Waldo County. There are enough alcoholics, smokers, drug abusers, overeaters, and sex addicts in our small little corner of the world to warrant weekly meetings for those in need. Yet you won't find too many press clippings or web sites that talk about the less glamorous side of things here in "Vacationland."

When we're not taking our 12 steps, we might be found at the semi-monthly meeting of the "Areas Preparedness Team." There's no mention of what we're supposed to be preparing for - I guess that's one of the things you find out when you attend the meeting. Or, if you aren't inclined to be prepared, you could head down to Bates College to hear Charles Hadlock talk about "Mathematics, the Environment and John Travolta: Lessons from a Civil Action." I wonder if John Travolta knows about this (he is a part-time resident of Waldo County, after all).

Looking for something a little lighter? How about a bit of theater? You can opt for the Belfast Maskers production of "Fancy's Holiday," a mystery dinner production by the Belfast Area High School Theater Group, Pinocchio by the National Marionette Theatre, or "Fame" by the Mt. View High School Drama Club.

It being November, there are, of course, you have your choice of hunter's breakfasts. Four are listed for this week. But you're bound to get hungry again by suppertime, so you'll want to check out the at least one of the eight public suppers listed. Take your pick of baked beans, ham, casseroles, or spaghetti. Or head up to Bangor for the free lunch at St. John's Episcopal Church on Saturday.

After all that eating, you'll need to work off some of those calories by shopping. Take your pick from the Lincolnville craft sale (with a fish chowder lunch, just in case you do get hungry again), the holiday craft sale in Searsport, a Christmas craft fair in Thorndike, a community school auction in Camden, or the farmer's market in Belfast.

For those of you with a bit of a more eclectic bent, why not check out the Mid-Coast Reiki Practitioners meeting. Or, perhaps, a meeting of the Network of Integrative Practitioners. If any of you out there have any clue what an Integrative Practitioner is, I'm dying to know. You also have a choice of Y2K meetings - one for "those just learning about Y2K," and another "for those preparing for Y2K." After all the Y2K doom and gloom, you'll probably want to head out to Brooks for the weekly meeting of the "Jolly Neighbors." I used to live out that way, and I must admit that I wouldn't characterize any of my neighbors as "jolly." Maybe I should go just to see who shows up. But perhaps I'd be better served at the Buddhist Meditation Group.

If you're in need of support (other than the 12-step kind), you can choose from among the AIDS Support Group, the Woman's Recovery Group, the Blind and Visually Impaired Support Group, the Depression Support Group, the Alzheimer's Support Group, the Caregivers Support Group, the Cancer Support Group, and the Bereavement Support Group. With all these support groups, I can see a real need for a Support Group Support Group.

And while all of these groups and plays and dinners and jolly neighbors are well and good, there was really only one thing that I found exceptionally intriguing in this week's "Coming Attractions" listings. Who in their right mind could pass up the opportunity to check out the "Spawning Spectacular"? Spawning demos, tours and more, courtesy of the Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery. Just how does one get a fish to demonstrate spawning, anyway?

Copyright ©1999 by Greg Closter (closter@acadia.net)