Beyond the South End

Thoughts of Spring

From empowermoments.org

The inspiration for this blog came mostly from one of my favorite writers, Rob McCall, a minister of the First Congregational Church in Blue Hill, Maine, who writes the Awanadjo Almanack for Maine, Boats and Harbors magazine. For those of you who don’t speak the Algonkian language, Awanadjo means “small misty mountain” or the Blue Hill Mountains of Blue Hill, Maine.

McCall knows more about the natural surroundings of the state of Maine than most people I know. It’s always a pleasure to read his spring updates as to what is now blooming, how you can tell if Maine’s woodland animals came through the cold winter all right; and what we can expect to see soon. I’ll bring you more of his insights in a moment.

Spring is always a time of new beginnings in the spirit of the Easter holiday and the celebration and miracle of the Passover season. It’s a time for new growth, a renewal of nature.

I believe no one should die in the Spring. I lost my father in the Spring and most recently a man named Danny Bowman, who was one of the best bosses I ever had. He was the first person I interviewed with when I came to work at Network Communications, Inc. He was always a fair, concerned and kind man who we will all miss. Spring should not be about the end of things.

McCall always brings us what he calls “seedpods” to carry around with us. Here are two from his latest Almanack in MBHH. From William Cullen Bryant: “There is no glory in star or blossom till looked upon by loving eye: there is no fragrance in April breezes till breathed with joy as they wander by.” From our own Edna: “April comes like an idiot, babbling and spewing flowers.”

Of course the babbling she talks about is when all the snow melts and our rivers and brooks and streams are overflowing and consequently we end up with some pretty big mud puddles and our famous Maine “mud season.” Usually we’ll take mud over snow though, knowing that it will dry up one day soon.

McCall discusses “natural economics” in his latest Almanack. It’s the ancient system by which each creature on earth gives what it has and gets back what it needs. Thus we put out bird seed for the birds and squirrels. The birds consequently eat our bugs and give us beautiful songs and the squirrels spread seeds to repopulate the forest and grow new trees. The trees in turn give us shade and produce nuts for other animals to eat. So on it goes. In this system no creature hoards nor wastes anything. “In good times if one has plenty, all have plenty. In bad times, all suffer alike.” Such is “natural economics” and we as humans followed that system for eons.

McCall continues, “Now, success seems to mean taking more than you can possibly use, and giving back as little as you possibly can. Call it ‘un-natural economics,’ and it could very well be the ruin of the race.”

We could continue this thought to include personal selfishness so often found in our society today, as Benjamin Franklin said, “Money has never made man happy, nor will it. There is nothing in the nature of money to produce happiness. The more of it one has, the more one wants.”

I say we can find an inner peace if we but look to nature. Bird song, the roar of the surf on our rock bound coast of Maine, a field full of wild lupines in their pinks and purples; the joy we get from watching the antics of a new litter of kittens or puppies. These are the things of life that matter. Spring then, renews our souls and makes us happy to be alive.

In the same MBHH magazine is a review of a new bird book, “Maine’s Favorite Birds,” which looks like it would be a great beginner bird book. It doesn’t cover all the birds of Maine, but rather those that are our favorites. It’s also not a tome that would be hard to carry around with you when you are discovering what that bird was you just saw or heard. Published by Tilbury House Publishers, Gardiner, Maine, you can call them at 1-800-582-1899; or online at www.tilburyhouse.com. It won’t be long before all our songbirds return to us.

Rob McCall brings us inspiration through his love of nature. His real “pulpit” is the great outdoors. It’s the “church” I’ve always loved the most. He doesn’t preach to us in the usual way but gives us things to think about and ponder on. I just listened to one of his podcasts on WWRU FM radio. You can find it at http://archives.weru.org/awanadjo-almanack/awanadjo-almanack-20130322. Just hit the audio in the small box at the bottom of the information. You may have to download Itunes or another audio system in order to hear it. Or, just try to pick it up for real at WWRU FM; 89.9 in Blue Hill and 99.9 out of Bangor.

The podcast posed the question: Is there such a thing as a “natural miracle.” He suggests that all miracles are natural and that we should at least give miracles the benefit of the doubt. Spring brings out the miracle in us by renewing our love of life and giving us hope for a brighter future ahead.

Thanks for listening.

McCall’s latest book is Great Speckled Bird: Confessions of a Village Preacher, from Pushcart Press, available at your local bookstore.