It Makes No Never Mind

by James Nalley

After returning from an approximate four-month hiatus, it is safe to conclude that the world as we once knew it has changed. In fact, at the time of this writing, we are still being bombarded with negative news regarding sickness, death, business and job losses, divisiveness, etc. However, it is important to remember the word “adversity” and our ability to show courage in the face of it.

In this regard, the list of Mainers with this ability is extensive. First, there is Robert Peary, who grew up in Portland and graduated from Bowdoin College. At the age of 24, he wrote the following: “I don’t want to live and die without being known beyond a narrow circle of friends.” With this goal in mind, it would take years of effort, physical suffering, and danger. As is well-known, he claimed to be the first to person to reach the North Pole. Although his feat has since been debated, he did make eight trips into the Arctic Circle, with one in which he sledged 1,250 miles to northeastern Greenland in sub-freezing temperatures. Among these trips, he would run out of food, break his leg, deal with flea infestations, and face constantly shifting ice and deep crevasses, some of which forced him to turn back after months of travel.

Second, there is U.S. Army Sergeant George Libby from Bridgton. In July 1950, as his vehicle approached an enemy roadblock near Pusan, Korea, it encountered heavy enemy fire, which disabled the truck and wounded each of the passengers, except for himself. After taking cover in a ditch, he crossed the same road twice to administer first aid to his wounded soldiers. He then hailed a passing artillery tractor and helped the wounded on board oneby-one, all under constant enemy fire. As the tractor pulled away, the enemy directed small-arms fire at the driver, after which Libby used his own body as a shield. Despite being shot multiple times in his arms and torso, Libby helped more wounded aboard. At the final roadblock, he continued to shield the driver with his body as it was pummeled by more bullets. He held that position until the tractor was safely away. Then, he lost consciousness and died.

Finally, there is Christopher Knight, who has been referred to as the “North Pond Hermit” of Maine’s Belgrade Lakes region. According to the book titled, “Stranger in the Woods” by Michael Finkel, Knight spent approximately 27 years living alone in the woods of Maine. During that time, he avoided building smoky fires (which would have revealed his location), relied on a propane camp stove to melt snow for drinking, and “borrowed” canoes from nearby camps to steal necessary supplies, all while surviving in (almost) total isolation during the harsh Maine winters. After reading his biography, it will put your quarantine experience into perspective.

Finally, many of my readers will expect me to end with a short joke. However, considering the changing times and theme of this article, I will postpone this until the next issue. Instead, I will close by paraphrasing part of a speech by Theodore Roosevelt in 1910: “The credit belongs to those whose faces are marred by dust and sweat and blood; those who strive valiantly, who err, who come short again and again; who spend time in worthy causes, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of achievement, and who at the worst, if they fail, at least fail while daring greatly.”

Daniel L. Steinke, D.D.S.

Hillary S. Caruso, D.M.D.

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