On Columbus Day, the crowd departs, and I’m reminded of the low-key scenes of our first few visits here a dozen years ago. One some of those nights it was tough to find a cup of coffee after a certain time – a far cry from today, when most businesses stay open until November at least – if not beyond. Personally, I like it when it gets quieter like this – when the noise and excitement subsides. It’s at odds with what a lot of people think of me, but when you get down to the nitty-gritty, the undressed core, I abhor pomp and circumstance. This is not something that translates well to a website, or print for that matter – and it is one of the conundrums of all that I’ve done – and all that I continue to do. Yet it is a delicious juxtaposition – such contrast and contradiction are what keep life from becoming too unbearably boring. The quest for survival is sometimes as simple as a fight against stagnation. Tonight – and this extra-long weekend in Ogunquit – we have won the battle. The war, however, rages on.
