Let’s Just Pretend Every Summer Event In Maine Is Canceled Until It’s Not
In the last two weeks, some of Maine's most notable summer events have been canceled for 2020.
Yarmouth Clam Festival? Not happening. Lobster Festival? Nope. Balloon Festival? Not this year.
For those events still holding on and not pulling the plug, I fully respect their decision but for me (and it may help a lot of other people to think this way), I'm pretending every major summer event in Maine has been canceled until someone tells me otherwise.
Why? Because at this point every major event that gets cancelled is just another letdown. A letdown because I won't be able to attend that event and enjoy myself like years past.
It's also a letdown because most major events use Facebook as a pedestal to promote and inform, and when an event is canceled, the comments section is filled with hatred, blame and name calling.
It's nonsense, and almost as large of a letdown as the actual event canceling.
So I pretend. Pretend that the summer brewfest I was looking forward to is canceled. And if somehow it's able to happen in late-August, I'm going to be thrilled. That concert I was looking forward to since last fall? I'm just assuming I won't see it but if someone tells me it can happen in mid-September instead of mid-July, I'm there.
It gives me something to be hopeful for, those memorable gatherings that we all look forward to so much.
But until that reality returns, let's just pretend. If you were willing to go buy a lobster roll at a festival, consider buying one from a restaurant for curbside pickup and pretend you're at the festival.
If you planning on buying a t-shirt or souvenir glass at some point this summer, do it online from a local retailer and have it shipped to your house now, backyard festivals can be a thing.
If you planned on tossing a few back at a brewfest, spend some of that ticket money and buy some local beer today, a cheers to your friends on Zoom isn't as bad as it seems.
Life won't stop but at some point, we will be able to stop pretending. Sooner rather than later, I hope.