Here I am back visiting my hometown Portland, Maine. Real trees, not those scrawny palms, surround me making everything so green I feel I’m in the Emerald City. Speaking of which (if you have to ask a senior, turn in your gay card), my old cruising, I mean stomping, ground is almost unrecognizable. True, L.L. Bean boots and Red Sox sweats are a far cry from Hillcrest’s fashion ambiance, but the LGBT presence is clearly evident. GayWeddingsInMaine.com has over 400 businesses in its network bringing in over $20 million a year to the state. The Pride committee hosts a full ten days of events. All the local beaches have blond (“from the sun”) beach bunnies cavorting as usual, although, to tell the truth, the ocean water is like ice, but various land activities seem unimpeded.
Just down the coast Ogunquit, the gay mecca of northern New England, is jumping; not as high as Provincetown, but outside of Fire Island, what is? I chatted with several of Portland’s large lesbian population and found many had come to live in Maine after visiting friends here. I didn’t meet any of the trans community. They seem to keep a low profile, but according to Web site comments, aside from what they refer to as “the usual hassles,” things are pretty good here. There are local support systems for all the LGBT family, plus of course openly gay bars, parades, marriages, adoptions, university LGBT organizations, etc.
For me and other seniors, all of these things were unheard of – undreamed of – in our day. We can’t help but think of our friends of the past who never got a chance to be themselves. At least now we can finally enjoy these out-of-the-closet benefits for this part of our lives. I will think of that tonight as I enjoy my lobster dinner in a popular restaurant maybe sitting across from a gay/lesbian couple with their children. Unbelievable. Am I in Oz?
A cure for retirement boredom
After retirement’s first month of sleeping in and tending the garden, the problem surfaces of what to do; especially when friends are still working. My suggestion today offers LGBTers of all backgrounds and capabilities a chance at excitement, responsibility and new friendships. Volunteer.
Something as basic as answering phones or making sandwiches is a start. With a car you can pick up donations or drive people to doctor visits. Teach remedial classes or English as a Second Language. Help in general with children, animals, refugees, those blind, deaf, or challenged in some way. In all areas, foreign languages, particularly other than Spanish, are desperately needed. Carpenters, plumbers, repair persons and skilled people of all kinds are welcomed by many groups. For example, my barber friend often cuts hair at a special care facility. If you can help, do as I did and Google, “volunteer San Diego.” You’ll find a long list of opportunities. Simpler, call up or just walk into a thrift store, homeless shelter, food bank, etc. and ask how you can help. They will gladly give you the contact information. The same goes for any religious or ethnic group you identify with.
Needless to say, The Center needs volunteers for its many projects dealing with a variety of issues. For the adventure of living in a foreign country, don’t forget the Peace Corps (Seniors remember “Miss Lillian,” President Carter’s mother, who, after years of volunteer work in the rural South, went off to India at the age of 68).
Want an environment far outside your life experience, but you don’t want to leave the USA? Try teaching at a Native American school or rural America school; go to AmeriCorps.com. If you are sitting around wondering what to do with all your new free time, check out some of these suggestions. Believe me, you are wanted, desired, needed.
