The Maine course

My son, Jay, his beautiful bride, Ashley, and my delightful five-year old step-granddaughter, Hannah, just returned home to Florida after what Jay tells me had been a marvelous one-week vacation spent in the great State of Maine. During their stay, though, Jay would sometimes send me photos of his meals via text messages. This practice of sharing the visual delights of a well-presented entree seems to have become customary nowadays, and I readily admit to doing the same from time to time. But, importantly, I could not help but notice that those photos featured, among other things, fresh Maine lobster.

First of all, I cannot tell you how happy I am that my son and his young family have had the opportunity to enjoy the indigenous cuisine of the Pine Tree State for an entire week while I dined on dried-out leftovers and home-made pizza bread made from freezer-burnt, Publix Hoagie rolls garnished with green-tinged pepperoni slices. (By the way, that pepperoni is really okay for up to a year after the “best time to sell” date. No kidding – I read it on the internet). Nevertheless, I am concerned that Jay and Ashley, now that they have returned, may have to deal with that most uncomfortable disorder: Maine lobster withdrawal.

Well, I’m hoping they will have the good sense to try to ease back into reality with, say, some previously frozen snow crab for starters. And then, maybe, you know, when they’re ready, work their way all the way back to plain ol’ fresh-caught Mayport, Florida shrimp.

In any event, I have a hunch we don’t need to worry about Hannah, since being the sensible young lady that she is, probably stuck to mac n’ cheese the whole time while she was up there.

Maine’s motto, by the way, is “Dirigo.” “Dirigo” is Latin for “I lead.” So, as some claimed early in the founding years of this great country, “As Maine goes, so goes the nation.” And as far as the diet of those Mainers goes, we should be so lucky.