T Minus 4 days until Maine gets magnetized

The “before” to my Before & After posts on the 2017 Magnetize Maine Summit.

After I published my post about Two Feet Brewing, I got a Facebook message from Ami, a member of Fusion Bangor.

She had heard of my blog at a Fusion meeting and reached out to me. Not only did I find this to be a friendly gesture to make toward a newcomer like myself, I was also thrilled to learn that someone I didn’t know had read my blog and had a reaction to it. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback and encouragement from my friends and family members regarding my blog and my writing. I’m thankful for it. On days when I am unsure of myself, it keeps me going. However, I started to wonder if people who do not already know me had any interest in what I have to say, too.

This past weekend, I met Ami at Fusion’s dodgeball tournament at Beal College. Teams “dodged, dipped, dove, ducked and dodged” (I know it’s been a while, but I can still only think of Rip Torn barking orders and throwing wrenches at Vince Vaughn’s team of underdogs) to raise money for The Shaw House.

I shared how I was happy my blog had gotten out there. Ami understood my efforts at putting myself out there—noting that “people want roots” in their communities, both old and new.

I was introduced to a handful of Fusion members and a small group of us started talking about the upcoming Magnetize Maine Summit which will be hosted by Fusion.

Maybe it is because I have been focusing on this event, but I believe there is a palpable energy buzzing around Magnetize Maine. I think it will be an opportunity to genuinely discuss how to make Maine vibrant and appealing to younger generations, all while preserving the timeless and difficult-to-describe qualities that make Maine, Maine.

As I drove home that evening, I continued thinking about what I wanted to get out of this upcoming experience. I went home and wrote down three points.

  • I want to continue meeting people in the area. Everyone has already been so friendly and welcoming.
  • I want to listen and talk about real problems and real solutions and get to the heart of both.
  • I want to be able to bring something to the table. I’ve said before, attracting and keeping young people in Maine will need to be a well-rounded effort. An area that I have knowledge on, is the value of a creative economy. Maine’s beauty and unique way of life have inspired painters, writers and photographers for ages. The down-to-earth and caring nature of small-town (and small-city) life lends itself to being a place perfect for fostering relationships and providing cultural events, and even, (although this point is often overlooked) enabling economic growth.

 

Tune in next week for a post to recap Magnetize Maine. Hopefully I will be able to check off the above three points and add on a few more.

Rebecca Reisman

About Rebecca Reisman

My name is Rebecca Reisman. I am an aspiring writer. While I love being a Mainer, it can be challenging as a twenty-something year old to find incentives to stay in a state with a declining population and fewer opportunities. But I love it here. That’s what this blog is about; exploring and connecting to my new community in downtown Bangor while finding a way to settle down in my beloved home state.