Hub Happenings in the Milan / Berlin / Gorham Region

In “The Layers,” beloved poet laureate Stanley Kunitz writes, “When I look behind, / as I am compelled to look / before I can gather strength / to proceed on my journey, / I see the milestones dwindling / toward the horizon / and the slow fires trailing…” A seminal poem that I return to time and again through the seasons of my life, the words speak to me more now than ever. In the act of taking a pause, considering the work that’s been done, I find strength to continue to move forward.

So now, looking back, from the liminal space between summer and autumn, I can more clearly discern the milestones of the work that the Hub has endeavored towards. Moving forward from those beginning questions of “what exactly are we trying to accomplish” and moving into intention and goals that align with the needs of each of our particular communities. The work requires both consistency and adaptation. However, we must continually look back in order to understand where to move forward. The fears and troubles of decades past linger, sure. However, we are also working within what we’re continually told are “extraordinary times.” In the midst of news highlights, economic concerns, and crumbling structures, there is a deep recognition of what we’ve lost. In looking behind, we can recognize old milestones of community: what campsites have been abandoned, what fires still smolder.

This past summer has been one of deep contemplation. Trying to understand how to exist in the space between the old milestones and ways of being. To learn how to bring the old songs into an unsteady rhythm and create a new-old thing. In deep talks with friends, family, and neighbors, I continually hear of nostalgia for times past. The days when we knew our neighbors, celebrated together as a community, and remembered the importance of play. One community member longs for the old days of Berlin’s “Super Saturdays,” the resurgence of which is echoed by many. Others talk about community meals and their desire to see more. Still more see the importance of play and how music, dancing, and pure fun are essential to well-being. These aren’t novel approaches to community…they are the bedrock.

In order to peer at the horizon and move forward in this work, the importance of those glances back becomes more and more important. I can’t help but imagine what it would feel like to go back to old fires: spaces where we cooked and ate together, where music and storytelling was the norm, where the most vulnerable of us were cared for and accepted. In these extraordinary times, there is a call to be extra ordinary: to do the kind of living that lives deep in our bones. This kind of community may look different in a new era, but it still evokes a deep and resonant sense of belonging.

Looking forward, this next year will bring ample opportunities to come back to the village fires. Berlin’s PorchFest creates a village feel across the city, bringing music and fun to the Norwegian Village and Irish Acres. A “Tired Mom’s Club” will provide free eats and camaraderie for area caretakers both young and old. Area grade and high school kids work on free dinners and activities for senior citizens and their own peers. Though the fires are small at this stage, they are still burning brightly and using their own sparks to light others. The Hub invites you to come back to the village fires and dance, be fed, and be welcomed.