A "Triple H" Summer

“Triple H” usually refers to ‘hot, hazy, and humid’ (it also, I just learned from google, is the name that a certain professional wrestler goes by! Who knew!).

Our Maine summer wasn’t exactly hot, hazy, or humid—at least, not until the end when the school year was getting underway.

Anyway, my summer was a different sort of ‘triple H’ season—consisting of Highways, Highlights, and Hope.

Here’s why:

Highways—I did a good amount of traveling around the state, getting to as many member meetings as I could. It is a part of this job that I love, since we live in the most beautiful state in the country. There is not one area where there aren’t breathtaking views at some point along the journey! This summer while in the County I took a side trip to finally make it to Fort Kent and other nearby places that have been on my ‘must visit’ list for a long time. Despite the rain (when was it not raining this summer?), I loved every minute and every mile.

Highlights—Some of the many highlights were these meetings! Whether in Presque Isle, Calais, Brewer, Augusta, Skowhegan, Portland, Belfast, Lincoln, Ellsworth, Thomaston, South Portland, or Kennebunk, whenever I get to meet with you, our MEA members, especially when in person--that is absolutely the best part of this position! The energy and enthusiasm that you have for the work you do-for students and for colleagues—is truly amazing.

There were a few other personal highlights as well--A new grandchild joined our clan (adorable, of course, and he has dimples!). I saw Bruce Springsteen (along with 65,000 other fans) for the second time (the first was in the Augusta Civic Center in 1978…where has the time gone?).

Of course there was the NEA Representative Assembly earlier in the summer—with our dedicated delegates from Maine along with 7000+ of our closest NEA friends, gathered together in Orlando for long days of discussion and debate—exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time.

And the chance to meet President Biden when he visited our state was an exciting moment!

Our MEA Summer Conference, Growing a Stronger Union, was a great success, with a lot of first-time attendees realizing the great professional development MEA provides. And yes, for those who had to imagine me with my ‘prop’, it finally arrived:

And there was time with family and friends here and there. But definitely another personal highlight was the elation on my granddaughter’s face at each event she attended as a new kindergartener— screening, bus tour, visit for families with the principal, visit with her teacher, and, of course, that very first day—waiting anxiously for the bus and climbing up those steps!

And now for the third ‘H’—Hope—I had conversations with a few members who expressed that they had been on the verge of leaving the profession. They told me it was their engagement with our union that caused them to rethink that direction. Their involvement in our union gave them hope after what have been—for us all, I’m sure—some very challenging times for our profession.

It is all three of these ‘H’s’ that give me hope as well—in fact, I would add another ‘H’—and make it ‘High Hopes’—High Hopes for the coming weeks, months, for this academic year. Our beautiful state, our incredible members, our union—these combined all fill me with the highest of hopes—hopes for a great year for educators, for students, for public education, and for an ever stronger MEA!

With deep gratitude for all you do,

Grace