Lately I have been chasing my tail again with regard to the endless job search. Here's my biggest confession: there are many things about lobstering that I love (working on the water and with Cap, catching sea creatures and learning more about boats), but there are also things that are lacking, such as intellectual stimulation. This fact has led me on periodic job searches throughout the winter and much agonizing about what to do with my life.
Last week I woke up after a particularly poignant dreamtime singing a recognizable fiddle tune. Once in a while I do this, wake up singing a song I mean, but often it takes me a while to identify the tune. This time I knew immediately: "The Gale." Naturally, I went directly to my fiddle, pulled out the sheet music and paused. At the top of the sheet I had scribbled "Herring Gut Learning Center, Port Clyde." A friend had told me about a job opportunity teaching aquaculture there about two years ago now. I had completely forgotten about it. The same dear friend who has helped me process, encouraged me to pursue this message. I looked up the HGLC website to find the same teaching position posted, starting at the end of this year. I emailed them immediately to find out if I had a chance at getting the job without a teaching certificate. But that would have been much too easy. The answer on the other end of the line boiled down to: "No." They were currently negotiating with other applicants who had teaching certs. Dead end.
Yesterday I awoke to rain streaming down the windows and Cap advising me to "take a day." I invited my mother to see the Wyeth exhibit at the Farnsworth. On the drive to Rockland, I was distracted by the Herring Gut Learning Center sign in Thomaston pointing south down the St. George Peninsula. So we took a little detour to Port Clyde. 17 miles later we reached the sweet little fishing village. It seemed that the town had never seen a tourist before. Restaurants and galleries that are typical of a coastal fishing town in Maine were strangely absent and in their place we found lobster co-ops and cozy homes. My kinda place.
The HGLC was small and unimpressive, but we wandered down the road past it to find a lovely little lighthouse. On the way back I noticed a discrete sign right next to HGLC that read "Fresh Catch." I had read about this Community Share Fishery (CSF), but still didn't know much about it. I turned down the dirt road to find a large facility that I'm guessing was filled with walk-in coolers to keep the fish chilled. I was intrigued by the operation.
The Wyeth exhibit was refreshing on a rainy day. All three generations (N. C., Andrew, and Jamie) were represented in their artwork. One painting in particular by N. C. really struck me.
It is entitled "Herring Gut." It's a painting of Port Clyde from the spot that my mother and I had just explored. That's when it hit me that "Herring Gut" is the place where HGLC and Fresh Catch are both located. I later learned that it is the original name for the harbor of Port Clyde.
This leads me (finally!) to my dream. Today it dawned on me that perhaps "The Gale" was leading me to Fresh Catch and not to HGLC at all. The idea of starting a CSF here on the Pemaquid Peninsula has been brewing in my mind with the encouragement of others for a few years now. When I ask myself what I feel passionate about, the answer is: promoting local fisheries. Back in my college days I wanted to save the Amazonian rainforest . . . and the world, for that matter! My current ambitions are on a smaller scale, but more realistic. Now all I want is for local fisheries to have a local market with a reasonable price. My dream is to own a fish store where a CSF is based. I will buy seafood from fishermen and aquaculture farms on the Peninsula for the CSF. I could also cook and smoke seafood to sell in the store along with fresh products. It's a simple idea really, but it entails a high initial investment. The operation would require seawater tanks, large-scale refrigeration, and a commercial kitchen. The fish store in Town came to mind. I would pick up seafood directly from the source, so I would need a cooler truck. When it comes down to logistics, I'm not sure how profitable the operation would actually be. But it's certainly worth looking into. Perhaps starting with a simpler model would be wise. My farmer friend has suggested selling seafood this summer at her produce stand. Maybe this would be a good beginning. At any rate, it is a dream worth pursuing. There's no doubt in my mind about that.
Life is full of non-coincidences. Last fall I realized that perhaps all of the coincidences around my grandmother's death weren't really coincidences after all. Prior to that event, I held some sort of faith dictating that some things were "meant to be" and others weren't. A loose form of believing in destiny. However, now I am aware of a greater sense of purpose. I realize that if one listens, there are messages to pick up on. Little treasures along the path of life. Treasures leading to one's dream.
No comments:
Post a Comment