I’m not sure how to describe Farmington. It’s not necessarily a quirky town; it’s quite stable and full of successful, reliable, and enterprising businesses. But it’s not too serious either – I’d say it’s more fun and entertaining than not. I suppose Farmington’s personality rests somewhere between an easygoing place where friends meet on the streets and someplace where a person could set up shop to sell something new and exciting. It’s certainly a place unlike anything I’ve ever experienced and the longer I live in the area, the more I become familiar with how endearing it can be.
Farmington is a small town located in Franklin County, Maine. Its population sits at just over 7,500 and if you were to drive from the southernmost point of the state, you’d have to travel approximately 125 miles to get there. The trip, depending on how heavy your foot is, would take you nearly two hours and fifteen minutes. If you look at the town from above, you’d see it consists primarily of a few intersections, one in particular. Some neighborhoods too, but really, one crossroads stands out much more than any other. It’s where Broadway meets Main. While driving for more than two hours might not seem appealing to most, I suspect the trip would be worth it, especially if you’re someone who’s curious about interesting places. And perhaps someone who’s looking for that perfect spot in which to settle.
Searching for That Place
It didn’t take long. I remember sitting in my desk chair in the room I’d occupied for only a few hours. I had just arrived at the university that day and was already searching for places to live after graduation. My classes weren’t overly important to me, nor was my major. I had yet to contemplate how I’d actually ever use any of what I was about to learn. What I was much more interested in was where I was going to end up. I knew I wanted to live in the country. I also knew I wanted to either live in or live near a small town. I initially had my eye on the Catskills area in New York or even somewhere in the mountains down south. Vermont sounded nice as did New Hampshire. I knew small towns were in abundance in those two states. It wasn’t until years later that I looked into Maine. For reasons unknown, I felt Maine was somehow off limits. Was it too far away from where I was living at the time? Was it too cold? Even colder than Vermont or New Hampshire? Perhaps it was because I had no experience with the area, had no friends who knew anything about it, had never even visited. It’s a mystery to me.
Back in the 1990s, there was a website called, “Aerials Only.” I think it’s called SkyPic today. The man who used to run the aerials website now lives in Florida and currently limits his photography to that state. While living in New England, this man owned a small airplane and traveled from place to place while taking the most breathtaking photos from above – college towns, mountaintops, coastlines, cityscapes, and anything else worth photographing. Most of his travels took place over the states of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Luxurious universities with the most captivating architecture, stunning fall foliage full of reds, oranges, and yellows, ships and harbors as never seen before. I’d sit alone in my room, staring at the small screen of my laptop computer entranced, fantasizing at the possibilities. I was only 22 years old and the world was completely open to me. Most of those with whom I would graduate knew they were headed to New York City for work. Their lives were predestined by their parents. I loved the city, but in my heart, knew it wasn’t for me. I was attracted to space, wildlife, and peace. Luckily, my parents encouraged me to do as I pleased.
A decade later, I was doing the same thing. I’d sit in my home office, wondering why I hadn’t found it yet. We were living in Connecticut at the time and while our area was wonderful and much more than either of us could have ever asked or even hoped for, Laura and I knew we wouldn’t stay forever. It seemed as though we were quite content, so what was wrong? If you asked me this question today, I couldn’t give you a coherent answer. And to be perfectly honest, nothing was wrong. But again, I knew we wouldn’t remain in that area for years to come. It just wasn’t home. By that time though, I had a new tool for exploration at my fingertips. Instead of looking at static aerial photos, I had access to satellite and street view images through Google Earth, and believe me, I canvased this nation of ours more than I care to share. I even looked into Maine – Farmington to be precise. Odd how things happen; one day I’m sitting at my computer in Connecticut looking at the beautiful gold-leafed sign of Tranten’s on Main Street and within the year, I’m sitting in another room not 20 minutes away from the store. Odd how things happen, indeed.
Would you like to see where we ended up? Would you like to see a few examples of the wide open space that was hunted down and searched for all those years? I’ll move incrementally from fairly close to very far away.
The above photos were taken from Mosher Hill Road in Farmington. It’s about 10 minutes from where Laura and I live. Mosher Hill Road is just west of Clearwater Lake.
This is another shot from the same spot. I just switched up some camera settings. Also, those white things in the foreground are covered hay bales.
Did you know that what you see in the photos above is part of the Appalachian Mountains, a range that traverses the eastern part of the United States, from Georgia all the way to Canada? The Western Maine Mountain region spans most of Maine’s western border with New Hampshire. It includes towns like Bethel, Bridgton, Oxford, Rangeley, and Rumford. It also includes some of Maine’s highest peaks, as well as lakes for swimming and trails for hiking. Two favorite mountains for hiking are Mount Blue and Tumbledown Mountain. The Appalachian Trail even passes through the area on its way to Katahdin.
Traveling from our home to Farmington is nearly always an adventure and for some strange reason, I have no idea how or why that is. Perhaps it’s because the seasons, weather, and landscape change so frequently around our area. Perhaps it’s got something to do with the fact that I’m always looking for an object, person, or landscape to photograph. When I’m not holding my camera, I’m not seeing things. I’m merely driving by. But when I’m out on a photography mission, I see things as never before. Locals know of the above field. I’ve discussed it with friends. One in particular agreed with me when she said, “I know…you never see the same thing twice from that vantage point.” She was correct. I’ve taken quite a few photos of those mountains from Mosher Hill Road, but never quite like this.
You’ve surely seen photos of Clearwater Lake in my previous posts. I’d like to show you another. I’ve never ice fished, but after looking at this photo, I’m willing to say there’s something special about the activity’s solitude.
By the way, the man standing on the lake above was over a half mile from where I was standing.
This next photo is of Titcomb Mountain, taken from Titcomb Hill Road, which is oddly named because the two aren’t close to one another. With views like this though, I can see why things are the way they are.
Farmington
Laura and I visited Farmington a few weeks ago. Our intention was to run a few errands and then drop by the used books store, Twice Sold Tales, to browse its collection of history books. Laura enjoys European history while I’ve come to enjoy the history of the American Revolution. I’m also on the hunt for Maine’s history as it pertains to the colonial period. Strangely enough, I’ve become captivated by this era because of writing on this blog. As I write, I do a lot of reading and research and both of those have apparently sparked some sort of curiosity. I suppose the fact that I’m reading a biography of John Adams as well, doesn’t hurt. I’m in awe of the founding fathers of this nation. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, to name a few. Learning about the history of the American Revolution in high school was one thing, but reading a much more comprehensive story that was taken from notes, the private journal, personal correspondence, as well as other accounts of one of the founding fathers himself is quite another.
Before I go on any further, let me show you some photos I took while moseying around Farmington. I’ll move onto the bookstore after that. I think the pictures pretty well describe what it’s like in town on a winter day in January. People out taking care of business. It’s a busy little town that’s got a lot going on.
We saw these two gentlemen while Laura and I were wandering around. The man on the left is a friend of mine. His name is Jon and we used to practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu together. He’s as tough as nails. The man on the right is a fellow we recently met in the coffee shop (Java Joe’s). His name is Mike and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the future. Both of these guys are awesome and are as kind and as friendly as they come. The reason I took photos of them is because I’m not sure I could, no matter how hard I tried, find anything or anyone who says “Maine” more than these two do. I love it.
Twice Sold Tales
We actually haven’t visited the used bookstore in years. We recently stopped in to browse, but left shortly thereafter. Part of the reason we left was because I’ve already got a pile of books waiting to be read as it is and I really don’t need any more. There wasn’t much of a reason to poke around at all. We merely wanted to see if any interesting changes had been made, store-wise. The other part of the reason we left had to do with inventory. I’ve mostly visited this bookstore in the past for fantasy books. Through the years, I found that the store didn’t really have what I was looking for. Fantasy is a tough genre to keep in stock and if there’s something good on the shelf that was written by a popular author, it’ll be gone in minutes. History books are a completely different beast. When it comes to this genre, there are far too many books donated to bookstores by far too many people. I knew this and it’s the reason we made a return visit.
As predicted, there are currently more than enough colonial and revolution era history books in the store to keep me busy for a good long time. And beyond these types of books are biographies, which can almost be placed in the same category. I’m primarily looking forward to learning more about John Jay, Samuel Adams (2nd cousins with John Adams), Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. From what I’ve already gathered from the John Adams book I’m reading, these men were extraordinarily well educated and hard working. I’m excited.
As a side note, have you ever wondered who Maine’s most famous person is? Or perhaps more accurately worded, the most famous person who’s come from Maine? Most people would say Stephen King. I’d agree. We’ve all heard of him. He’s an author of more than a few best selling books – over 350 million copies of them. He’s written 64 novels and over 200 short stories. His number one best selling book is “The Shining.” Stephen was born in Portland and currently lives in both Bangor and Lovell. A close second would probably be Patrick Dempsey, the actor. He grew up in Lewiston.
Those two would be the most famous people who have lived in the state of Maine, but what about those who have lived in the town of Farmington? Besides Chester Greenwood, the 15-year old inventor of the earmuff, a woman named Lillian Nordica holds the title. Who is she and why was she famous? How did she put Farmington on the map and what’s her legacy? Be sure to read my next post to find out. It’s going to be informative and full of interesting photography. And for those who live in the area, I’ll give you a hint. I photographed it and you’ve driven by it a thousand times.
Reading is Fundamental
I sometimes wonder why I read at all. What’s the benefit? What’s the purpose? I’ll be honest with you when I tell you that I’ve often questioned some of the things I do. I wonder if they’re worth the effort and if I should continue doing them. When Laura and I talk, I ask her the big questions; how can we live the best life possible? What will bring the most overall enjoyment and satisfaction? How can we become ultimately content, as if being truly content is even possible? While our conversations are helpful in regards to considering these questions, mulling over issues like these in my own mind has probably yielded me the most good. Obviously, no two people are exactly the same, which means that no two people can answer the questions I asked above the same way. It’s up to the individual.
For me, I’ve learned that my enjoyment stems from a small handful of activities. Keep in mind that I’m somewhat of a recluse, so you might not see the same value in what weighs on my mind as I do. For me, they are reading, writing, exploring, and hunting for books to add to my pile. I also obviously enjoy taking photos to share with others as well as a few fitness endeavors, but by and large, my contentedness is derived from what goes on mentally. As long as my location (where I live) is fulfilling and offers the tools I need to think, my mind is allowed to operate as I’d like.
So yes, I enjoy reading, which begs the question, what exactly does it do for me? How does writing help? And what does exploring have to do with any of it? For the sake of brevity, I’ll limit the scope of this section to reading and writing. The exploring thing will take days to explain, but – in the most basic sense, exploration is the impetus behind writing. It generates ideas and the motivations and inspirations necessary to think of it, formulate it, and then do it. If I spent all my time hidden away in my writing room, without ever experiencing the towns, nature, and people I see, I’d have nothing to share. The blank canvas in my mind would stay blank, but I digress…
When I was younger, I once claimed that books contained nothing more than simple stories. That they provided little value. I wasn’t much of a reader at the time and when I saw someone reading, I thought they were slacking off. I didn’t have an appreciation for what was truly transpiring. I now know that, yes, while many books do tell simple stories, many also offer so much more. Back when I was growing up in the 1980s, we were blessed with a president who understood the value of reading. On December 3, 1986, the nation was presented with a proclamation:
Proclamation 5584 — Year of the Reader, 1987
“To read well, that is to read true books in a true fashion, is a noble exercise,” wrote Thoreau. The ability to read and write effectively is essential to the vitality of the mind and to success and accomplishment in every field of endeavor. Some with the ability to read may seldom think of the blessings it bestows, but, sadly, those without it know the difficulty they have in leading fully satisfying lives. They are denied the joy, the knowledge, and the exposure to opportunities that come through mastery of reading skills. They also lack a vital employment skill in our increasingly information-rich society.” Source
For all of you who were watching television at the time, you’ll certainly remember the “Reading is Fundamental,” or “RIF” advertising campaign. It seems as though a large majority of television commercials bestowed upon us the importance of reading. While I didn’t necessarily believe what I was being told back then regarding the value of reading, I would love to see advertising like it today. Today I certainly believe in its value.
What an incredibly rewarding gift we’ve been given in having the ability to read. Books as far as the eye can see, libraries to fulfill our every literary desire, and people with which to discuss what we’ve read. Believe it or not, today we may actually be living upon a literary summit in this country, and perhaps even the world. Every single able minded person who has the desire to read, or the desire to learn to read, can. If you’re mind holds the potential, the country and the world can help. What a sea change from just two hundred years ago.
“In the year 1800, it’s estimated that a mere 12.1% of the world was able to read and write. The most recent data shows the numbers have actually flipped – and now just 13.8% of the global population is illiterate.”
I hate to say this, but if you don’t see yourself as someone who enjoys reading very much, but have made it this far into my post, you’re definitely a reader. If you’re not reading regularly, you might not be receiving the exposure to the type of reading materials you require – the types you enjoy, the types that would keep your mind stimulated, that would make you want to come back for more.
Reasons for Reading
All of this is neither here nor there if it’s got no purpose. I can image having a conversation about reading with a non-reader. Ultimately, the person would ask, “Who cares? Sure, the resources may be available and it may be fun, but why would or should anyone really want to read?” Ronald Reagan phrased it so succinctly in the 1980s; let me offer some of my own ideas:
- First and foremost, the idea of handling a book should excite you. If it doesn’t, visit a used book store and ask for the most important hardcover book available. A life-changing book. Feel the binding and flip through the pages. My sister once asked me what book I would suggest someone read before they die. I replied, “Atlas Shrugged.” Lesser books have changed the world.
- Books help readers learn their language. As well as I think I can speak and write today, I’d be nowhere without first reading what I’ve read in the past. When I read, I analyze the writing of the author and I study new writing technique. I look at how the author handles challenging passages and I attempt to mimic what they’ve done when I’m challenged myself. I learn spelling, vocabulary, and grammar, all from reading.
- On that same note, whether a writer knows it or not, his or her style is dependent upon a collection of other authors’ styles. Without something from which to work, we’d have nothing to produce. It’s all part of the learning process and I’ve heard it a thousand times; to be a gifted writer, you must be a gifted reader.
- Sometimes reading offers pure entertainment. I’ll admit it. When I need to simply sit down and read a good book for selfish pleasure, I do it. I’ll tell you though, it’s not often I don’t get something more out of a book than mere enjoyment.
- It’s nearly impossible to read a history book without learning something. Or a biography. Or any book that offers information, for that matter. Learning is fun and critical and some books do a very good job of transferring knowledge from it to you.
- Reading exercises the brain. Just like lifting weights keeps your body young and healthy, reading books keeps your mind young and healthy. If you’re not a reader today, challenge yourself to read for 20 minutes before bed for a month. Then come back here and let me know how you feel. I suspect I already know what you’ll tell me.
- Reading changes lives. It offers purpose and direction. Even as I type this, I’m still thinking upon “The Little Paris Bookshop” by Nina George, where a Frenchman traveled along the Seine River through Paris in his “literary apothecary.” He’d prescribe books to people who came to him with issues even they didn’t know they had. What an incredible book. I imagine myself doing something similar to what Jean Perdu did, floating all the way through northern France, helping people and finding even more purpose and direction in my own life. Could that ever happen? Who knows. What I do know is that it’s on my mind.
If you’re not an avid reader today, how can you become one? What are your first steps? There’s only one step. Walk into your closest public library, look the librarian in the eye, and say, “I’d like to start reading.” And then smile, because, as my mother would say, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”
Before I close this post, I’d like to leave you with something. It’s a snippet from a letter Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John on August 29, 1776. Abigail was located near her home outside of Boston and John was in Philadelphia, the city that served as the nation’s capital until 1800.
“I must leave my pen to recover myself and write in an other strain…I wish for peace and tranquility. All my desires and all my ambition is to be Esteemed and Loved by my Partner, to join with him in the Education and instruction of our Little ones, to set under our own vines in Peace, Liberty and Safety.”
Imagine receiving a letter that contained lines like the above. If you think the letter would make you feel good, I encourage you to begin writing your own letters to friends and family today. Start the process. But before you do, please read my post where I discuss the art of letter writing. It’s one of my best posts. It’s one I’m most proud of.
This brings me to the end of another post. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it and, if so, I invite you to leave a comment down below to let me know your thoughts. It’s always nice to get feedback on the things I share.
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If you did any of these things, I can tell you right now that you’d truly make my day. Thank you so much and with that, I say adieu. Or at least, until next time.
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