Moving With
The Light
By Barb Parcells
People often ask me how an Italian
girl from Queens, New York ended up living in
Small Town USA surrounded by fields and streams.
I tell them that for as long as I can remember, my spirit had
been whispering in my ear that the city was no place for a girl
like me. I needed open spaces, big sky and the greens of the country
to feed my soul and inspire me. What they might be even more surprised to
learn about me is that I have always had a love affair going on with lighthouses
as well!
I can’t remember what first turned me on to lighthouses. As a young girl I would often
lose myself in stories about people who lived in them. I thought it had to be the adventure
of a lifetime. I suppose I romanticized it a bit, not realizing that it took great courage and
stamina to live in one let alone do the job of a lighthouse keeper. It wasn’t until I actually got
to visit one up close and personal that I understood what it must have been like for them.
My sister and I decided to take a vacation together, just the two of us, for the first time in
years. The kids were all grown and able to take care of themselves and we were able to coordinate our work schedules so that we could take the same week off in August. The place
we chose for our vacation was a stretch of beach in the state of Maine called Old Orchard
Beach. During most of the summer the town bustles with families and college kids working
their summer jobs. There is a lot of noise and celebration going on 24/7. However, by
mid-August, most folks are back home getting ready for the approaching school year
and the beach becomes a peaceful haven.
We rented a tiny cabin that was just big enough for a bed, dresser, TV, bathroom
with cement shower and a tiny kitchen area consisting of a two burner
hot plate, sink and dorm size refrigerator. Why would we need
anything else? Most of our time would be spent on the beach,
checking out the cute little shops in town and eating our
way through the best seafood around. We also
scheduled some time to take day
trips. One was to the city of