Teenagers...What A Bunch Of Competent Individuals

We're screaming up on the heels of birthday season as it is, but then my wee babes have to go and look all adult-like, suddenly. What the hell? DON'T THEY LOVE ME?



Look at this guy, would ya? Wasn't he in some blockbuster summer movie? No? Well he should be! I took this photo while he was on his 87th run to tend to the ducks and chickens that afternoon, because he does things like that, I guess.



Though Olivia has had her driver's permit since she was 15, the last 18 months have thrown us some curve balls here, so Olivia simply renewed her permit and never scheduled her driving exam because life can be tedious that way sometimes. But she sent her card in a week or so ago and got her date and off she went on Monday to take her exam and pass her test all in one go like an almost adult or something (I had to take mine twice, wanna fight?)

And then she goes out all yesterday afternoon on her first solo trip to run errands and attend the Youth Activism Gathering meeting-because she's on the planning team-like she's just trying to prove how responsible and competent she is. (She also designed the YAG poster. Because. Skills.)



This was after she spent the morning sorting our older seeds testing them for germination. GAWD. Teenagers. With their patience. And abilities.

Whatever.

It's not like I'm proud of them or anything.

Olivia Graduates From The New Leaders Project

Yesterday, we celebrated with Olivia and seven of her peers as they graduated from the inaugural class of Equality Maine's New Leader Project (which is running again this summer, see link for details). The ceremony was held at the First Universalist Church in Rockland (a church Alex and I used to attend in the mid-90s), and it was a beautiful and affirming setting for honoring these activist youth.

At the reception, we met with each new leader and their mentors within Equality Maine, as they presented a synopsis of their individual class projects.



Olivia, the Class Speaker, spoke about the importance of youth activism and joining with leaders of older generations to accomplish progressive change.







We're so proud of Olivia, the dedication she has shown her mentors and peers, the passion she pours into her activism, and her ability to engage with her community effectively and positively.

Seventeen Is Going To Kick My Butt And I'm Totally Fine With That

I've been the mother of a seventeen-year old for an entire week. It's exhausting. I'm going to need a lot of naps.





I kid. Kind of. I mean, we had her home on her birthday a week ago, only because we had a late winter storm that cancelled everything, including Youth Lobby Day with Equality Maine at the State House, (the event she assisted in organizing). The event was postponed until yesterday, (good thing yesterday's storm wasn't as significant...Happy Spring in Maine!) and we were up at 5am and to the Capitol by 8am. Thankfully, we're fairly local to the seat of our state's government, because Olivia's activity there seems to be becoming a regular thing; just last month, she spent the day there shadowing a legislator.



You see, somehow we've raised an activist. (Insert heavy sarcasm.) Last fall, Olivia was accepted into Equality Maine's New Leader's Project, where she has excelled and well, proven her leadership skills. As part of her independent project within the EQME NLP, she is organizing and hosting a talk at the Maine Youth Activism Gathering in April. Oh, and she's also on the team that is organizing YAG.

So a lot of her days involve some juggling. A few weeks ago I was out shopping with her while she was trying on clothes for the upcoming EQME Awards Dinner and when I got back to the changing room with more options, I overheard her on the phone, planning with her co-host, a Blunt Youth Radio show on reproductive rights and access to care. (Unfortunately, this show has not been uploaded yet. She agreed this morning to co-host one on Rape Culture in April). Some of her days are really long and might begin with a YAG meeting in one town in the early morning, and then a full day of assisting at an event until late into the evening, two-hours south.



In her downtime, Olivia enjoys nerding-out with her similarly-minded father while tormenting the likes of me with detailed lists and endless discussion and chart-making about such things as chicks (which we are getting in June) and the exact combination of said chicks and where exactly we should put them and when we should order them and which feeders are best.

If discussing chickens is out, she gets us all wound-up and next thing you know, the Bradstreets are volunteering to coordinate our town's annual historical-day event in August. Because we needed something to do.

And she's just seventeen. Hand me a pillow. And a blanket. Draw the blinds, please. I need a nap.


(In all seriousness, we're extremely proud of Olivia, in her activism and in her abilities to inspire and lead others, but most of all, her good heart, clarity of thought, and willingness to act.)

The Return

I'm easing back into this space, snatching little chunks, reclaiming time to put my thoughts down and to do what is so dear to me, photographing and capturing how we spend our days. This transition to the farm has been a doozy in so many ways, both heartbreaking and heartwarming at turns, and I haven't always felt the desire or ability to write, here. To say our days are full is trite, but nonetheless, they are. And as just about everyone in the U.S. knows, this winter has been rough weather-wise, and rough on five people learning to live together in this new old place, this one filled with ghosts and haunts, some cold with longing and rigid with bitterness, at that.

I miss, too, the scent of our other home, our Mermaid House, the familiar corners and light, where spaces are now empty, shelves hold no books, and nails stick out from plaster as accusatory reminders of our abandonment.







That's what I think and feel on the hardest days. A homesickness so deep it draws great sobs up and bursting out of me until I am doubled over with...change. It's not loss, truly, it's only change. Change that we asked for and sought and work so very hard for. And it is wickedly wicked, some days.

Then there are moments, hours, days, where this change seems easy and natural. When order is created out of chaos, when photos and art find homes here on these farmhouse walls, when meals are eaten together, cooked in this kitchen, when new skills are acquired, when we spend hours rebuilding this place, and when we explore our greater community and extend ourselves.





























In these moments, I know that home is us, not the house. I clutch that knowledge, cling to it, letting it settle in my bones. Home is us. Not the house. And winter is almost done.

Youth Activism: Preserving Spaces and Youth Voices on the Air

Even with our move to the farm, Olivia and Adam remain committed to their volunteer work with Blunt Youth Radio out of WMPG in Portland. They both continue to produce and engineer shows, like this one on LGBTQIA+ Issues, or Intersectional Feminism, or Geek Culture in Maine. Most recently, they were both asked to produce the Indiegogo campaign video for Blunt's latest fundraising effort to improve and update Blunt's recording equipment. Adam and Olivia used their own equipment, talent, and skills to produce this video. They spent several days editing and agonizing over details. Essentially, they did what they always do, regarding their work; they took it seriously and committed fully to it. They are both detail oriented, and passionate about producing good material. They make a good team and it was sometimes overwhelming to listen to them geek out about the finer points. It was also incredibly fun to watch them work together. Ultimately, I think their vision will serve Blunt Youth Radio well.
Please consider offering your support by preserving youth voices on the air with your donation.