YouNeedaHelmet When You’re Working on Your Family Tree

Seeing all those television ads for ancestry.com got me thinking about my own family genealogy. Of course, I’m referring to that monumental project I worked on in the late 1970’s and hadn’t looked at for decades.  After navigating my way around the web site, I decided to rummage through the basement to find my musty boxes of photographs, ephemera and notes.

Here are a few long forgotten things I found:

I also found hand-written notes and amazing photographs from as far back as the 1880's.

Who entrusted me with all these treasures and when? Thank goodness I kept those tired, well-worn boxes with me through all my many moves. I've spent the last three days just totally absorbed. I hope I can finally honor that trust now. I'm going to finish what I started in 1977. Wish me luck, and, of course, I'll keep you posted.

Life’s Tough. Get a Helmet!

One of my favorite curmudgeonly expressions is “Life’s Tough. Get a Helmet.”  When I first thought about this blog I wanted that for my title. Alas, it was taken (because life is tough), so I went with “You Need a Helmet.”

But do you really need a helmet?  In Maine you don’t need a helmet to operate a motorcycle if you are over 17. Unless the park or facility in which you’re riding requires one, you don’t need a helmet to skateboard.  However, since 1999 Maine has had this law on the books in Title 29 -

§2323. Bicycle helmet use; passenger seat use

1. Use of helmet.  A person under 16 years of age who is an operator or a passenger on a bicycle on a public roadway or a public bikeway shall wear a helmet of good fit, positioned properly and fastened securely upon the head by helmet straps.

2. Passenger seat.  A bicycle passenger must be seated properly in a bicycle passenger seat.

I can’t help but think back to an earlier time before seat belts and air bags when we kids got to ride in the open back of a pick-up truck so long as we didn’t stand up or make too much noise. My Dad taught me how to ride a bike without training wheels on a rutted, dirt road. There were no helmets. All I had for protection was his hand on the back of that seat. By the time I’d finished yelling, “Don’t let go, Daddy”, I was pedaling solo down the road with the wind in my hair, the sun on my face, and an exhilarating feeling of accomplishment. It was a great day!

Here’s a picture showing what would be three bike law violations today.

• No helmet for operator


• No helmet for passenger


• No passenger seat

Didn’t we have fun? Well, my baby sister looks a bit nervous, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Wouldn’t you, Sis?