Columns

I recently went to my family physician. At each appointment, patients are asked about food insecurity. I admit I just dismiss the question. But for many, it can't be dismissed.

At long last we had arrived. The plane banked low over the island for the final approach into the wind, providing our first view of a place we had dreamed of for 25 years. We were tired after 8,000 miles of travel but excited to finally experience the beauty, the wildlife and the welcoming people of this remote archipelago that stretches for 700 miles in the Indian Ocean.

I am at an ice cream stand, one spot away from placing my order. Ahead of me a father of four little kids passes along a smorgasbord of ice cream orders that were, moments ago, passed along to him by a teenage boy who works behind the ice cream window. The father wisely pulls gobs and gobs of napkins from the napkin dispenser, then grabs his own shake and begins to walk away — but not before relaying to the teenager the following sincere message: "I appreciate you!"

My parents downsized, sold their home and moved, and I found a trove of tributes to my father as I helped them purge.

While I wasn't paying attention, autumn happened. I'm not sure exactly when, but the telltale signs are there, the most noticeable of which is that the towels and washcloths in the bathrooms have changed color. This is via some wife-decorator sorcery that happens twice a year. One summer morning the towels are light blue and then, without warning, they are red. They'll stay red until someday next spring, when they will again be light blue.

A reader asked what to do if they hit a deer. First, you should call your local police or, in Harpswell, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office at 800-501-1111 or 911. If you or another person is hurt, tell dispatch so they can send fire and rescue.

Question from Robin Casey: Why is there an old, presumably abandoned boat permanently parked at Mitchell Field near the bandstand? It's such an eyesore.

We all have seen it, and most of us have done it. Enter a restaurant with friends, sit down, and within 20 seconds everyone whips out their "smart" phones. Watch a gaggle of young people anywhere and you'll wonder if their thumbs will require surgery by age 35. Pass a hiker or jogger on the trail and odds are good that person is wearing earbuds or headphones.