A community of giants

I live in a community of giants, however, even giants need help sometimes. In the past week, in my little corner of the world, three of the greatest titans need our assistance.

First, and very publicly, a man I consider somewhat of a mentor, and most certainly a friend George Smith http://georgesmithmaine.com/ shared his struggle with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. It’s hard to call anything George undergoes a struggle, he is irrepressibly optimistic and full of good cheer. He has known about it for over a year, and he and Linda have played it pretty close to the vest the entire time. He still owes me a hunting trip- and I hope to get him out fishing at least a little bit this summer. One thing George has done is donated his woodlot to the Kennebec Land Trust. George needs help our help in getting the Stewardship fund created for this parcel of land that bears his father’s name: the Ezra SmithWildlife Conservation Area. You can donate online on the following page: https://www.tklt.org/ezra-smith-wildlife-conservation-area-maine/ .

We also had a dear neighbor and friend take a bit of a spill this past week while cleaning off the ice and snow around her house. Neighbors are taking care of her pets and very spoiled chickens and we are all coming together to supply food and meals, and I can’t wait until she gets home so Anna and I can go visit and bend her ear a little bit. She has done so much for the community for so long, that we are all thankful that we can return the favor a little bit.

Not all the news out of our area is bad, however. A man who is notorious for his love of bowling balls and his catchphrase “Nothing sucks in physics,” has thrown his hat in the ring to run for Governor of our amazing state. Steve DeAngelis teaches Physics at Maranacook High School. He is a beloved teacher and ski coach who has molded and shaped the minds of this community for nearly 40 years. The school district straddles the two Maines, the first and the second district, and Steve embodies these competing ideas of what the state should be. He is a consensus builder focused on bringing the two Maines together.  On top of teaching and coaching the best alpine ski team in Maine, Steve has also found the time to run a small business and raise a family. His dedication to public service is exactly what this state needs at this moment. He and I disagree often, his positions are fairly centrist and moderate, and mine… well they aren’t. That being said, there is not anyone I would trust more in the Blaine House. He is running as a clean election candidate and needs our help making it a reality. If you are tired of the usual politicians and businessmen running things, Steve is your candidate. You can see where he stands on the issues and if you like what you see donate to him at https://stevedforme.com/clean-elections/ .

We as Americans like to think of ourselves as rugged individuals like we are the masters of our own destiny. Sometimes, we can beat the odds and struggle and eek out an existence on our own, but we can’t truly do anything great without our friends, family, and community. These three individuals have been leaders locally and in the State for years, and I am happy to be able to help them out when they need a hand.

Lucas Rumler

About Lucas Rumler

I’m originally from the land of Soybeans and Corn- growing up the tallest thing in our town was the grain elevator. I moved to Maine in 2008 as part of Americorps. I fell in love with the state, and then the Saint who would eventually become my wife (much to her dismay on most days). We settled in her hometown- Mount Vernon which had been our plan since we started dating. We are active and involved in our community, we homestead, and we both work full time. We are trying to balance the stresses of living and working in this state while at the same time trying to strengthen our little corner of the world. My ambitions for our homestead do not necessarily line up with my competency, capacity, or free time. I am an apple nerd with no knowledge, a beekeeper who keeps hope alive- but maybe not my bees, a gardener who is trying desperately to figure out a niche market for the only things I can successfully grow (ragweed and crabgrass), and a backyard carpenter who has never made a straight cut or a level table- and doesn’t see any real reason to start now. I hope that this blog can help document my continuing failures and occasional successes as we continue to build our lives in our Village. I am active and involved in our local community, and I have been recently nominated by the Cat as the best male blogger. You can contact me at lucasrumler@gmail.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/undertheredastrachan/, or by mail at 46 Weston Road, Mount Vernon, ME 04352.