Anyone who has done any cooking at all knows ya need to stir the pot. When you add spice to a soup, you indeed need to stir it in. This allows all ingredients to accept what has just been added. When I was doing beans for an organization, there was a time to stir and a time to walk away. When all the helpers had prepared the fixings, they were added and stirred in. The beans were put to bed for the night. Now life is kind of like that. A time to stir the pot and a time to walk away. I guess my experiences with my teachers in school molded me into a pot stirrer. Oh, I am sure I deserved the majority of those punishments. You know stomping on my toes, slapping my face and slamming my head down onto the desk. Unfortunately, all this did was instill in me the resolve to even the field a bit. You may be the teacher, but you just made a mistake. That sentence should read “my brother and I”. Not “me and my brother”.  “you can not walk through the door”.  Correct is correct whether it is grammatically or punctually. Well of course, I would be in trouble again. Years ago,  I was doing a group session to get my mind straight. (not sure it worked). But anyway, the counselor kept misquoting something. About the third time I gave him a most disgusted look. I just had to bring it to his attention he was misquoting a sentence. He was taking it totally out of context.  He begrudgingly stopped and we got into a  “prove it or be quiet” session. I asked all to open their books and showed them he was indeed quoting out of context.  Yup, in trouble again.  This is also why some religious groups will no longer visit me. I almost miss their visits. That seems to be part of my life. He just can’t sit and be quiet.  The idea that prompted this little story is again, a trip to the local food store.

As I was walking out a very nice lady referred to me as trouble. “Now there is trouble”.  She is a very nice person with a big smile and a twinkle in her eye. Now, I like people such as that.  Call me what you will, as long as ya smiling when you say it. As a youngster, I became quite used to adults saying stuff.  And ya know, I am sure there was a time or two I deserved it. Now, I remember about 20 years ago, someone called me “the most dangerous person in Rangeley”.  I didn’t think so then, but then maybe I am. I am not quiet, I am not shy. Maybe, just maybe, too many have been too nice and too quiet for too long. I was having problems once, and I spoke with a lawyer about that particular problem. He replied I was most probably correct, just my presentation was a bit harsh. So, I have had to warn folks, I do not carry five pounds of sugar or salt around. Thus, I do not sugar coat things or take things with a grain of salt. This goes back to the days on Church Hill in Strong. Black is black and white is white. There was never any gray area in our lives. But then, those were the days when there were actually winners and losers in every game. I wonder just what our society would be like if there were no pot stirrers. Or maybe, there should be more pot stirrers.

Yup ya right, it is best I stay in the woods. If ya want to find me just cross the brook. Then stick to the road that goes straight up the hill. There is a huge patch of mullein there that is most awesome. I may be smoking it or just picking more to dry for later in the year. It is, after all, one of the many natural healing plants in this area.  Ken White “lost in the woods” mountainman.  Still COB