Episode 5

Jonesport. It's a town. It's not large. It has everything a town could need. The people here in Maine are more honest than those where I set sail from. I could have stopped a little further southwest in a Maine tourist town, but here, people have work to do. They have to make a living. They need to get out on the water. They don't have time to entertain the various people that decide to point their way to the Maine coast. I've met a few fisherman at a little bar near where I anchored. Their stories of distress and adventures make my stupid life look boring in comparison. They have stories of friends that went overboard. They know of boats that capsized and everyone was lost without warning. They've had years when fish overflowed the ships and years when they couldn't find any. They've formed unmalleable bonds with those on the boats. They have the most complete trust in each other that I've never seen anywhere. In my heart, I wish I could trust someone as they trust those they go out to sea with. When I first arrived, I stayed in my boat, but a fisherman's wife invited me to stay at their house. I've been here for almost two weeks, eating some of the best food I've ever eaten. The lobster she makes is brilliant. The finest restaurants could never compete with her. The room is small. The bed: also small. But the fellowship I feel has overflowed my emotions. I'm content and have almost forgotten my former life. I've told the friends I've made here of my plans to try to get to Europe. They don't laugh. They don't tell me I'm a fool. They've given me advice. A few I've talked to have actually gone there, albeit in a gas-powered boat. They know how much food I need. They know how the hours grow long during the trip. But they know it's worth it. The days at sea put inside a person the biggest sense of accomplishment that can be gained by any human. The waves will be calming. The sun will warm by back as the minutes pass and the ocean moves underneath. Soon I will leave this wonderful town. But now, Jonesport is my home, and I can't imagine leaving those I've come to love.