Resilience and Three Fishing Shacks
Iconic fishing shacks punctuate the skyline
I keep replaying Saturday’s scene
Since the late 1880s, three fishing shacks stood watch over Willard Beach in South Portland providing a backdrop for countless photographs.
Then, January 13’s record-breaking storm undid all that in mere minutes.
The first shack to go floated off as if it decided to try to swim. The other two were coaxed into the waiting water as flexing waves encircled them.
The video shot by Susan Young documents their demise. Mere hours after she posted, there were calls to rebuild these iconic pieces of our community.
This scene was played out up and down Maine’s rocky coast that day as rising sea levels, an angry winter storm, and king tide created waves of destruction.
Resilience: The capacity to recover quickly. To spring back into shape.
This tapped into how I’ve been feeling lately. How my Resilience Bank is nearly empty as the first two events of this year were canceled. For some reason, I haven’t been able to “spring back into shape” as my business, 3C Clarity is me.
I rise and fall as it does.
Ways to Cope: A Conversation with my Dad
As I’m processing all this, I recall a conversation I had with my 91-year-old, glass-half-full Dad, Bill Benson. One frigid January day in 2015 I checked in on him, concerned about how he was doing, especially because he lived alone.
And the conversation goes something like this:
“Me? Oh, I’m fine. Can’t complain.
It’s almost mid-January.
The days are getting longer.
Spring training is around the corner.
The first week in March, daylight savings starts.
Couldn’t be better.”
Wow. Thanks, Dad. Always an inspiration.
Resilience
How do you refill your Resilience Bank? Here are some ideas:
Talk to a family member or friend.
Go for a walk on a favorite trail or path.
Bake a savory recipe.
Create art or play an instrument.
Send me your ideas and I’ll add them to the list!
The Gift
Maybe, when we look at those “empty” spaces — on a hillside or within ourselves — we might pause to see not what’s missing, but what is now possible.
Resources
Maine Flood Resources and Assistance Hub: To help with personal or commercial property loss.
South Portland Historical Society: To help fund rebuilding the shacks. (Note, these instructions are from SPHS: If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to fund the rebuilding of the shacks, please use the donation button on our Online Museum site. Write “fishing shacks” in the comment box.
Photo credits:
Towle Tompkins, fishing shacks at Willard Beach
Susan Young, fishing shacks, January 14, 2024 storm
About Susan and 3C Clarity
Susan Tompkins is an Intuitive Life Coach, creator of Energy Art, and self-declared Sacred Rebel. The 3Cs of Clarity — circles, coaching, and change are offered to help Women live their Best Life. Inspired by Maine’s woods and waters, Susan conducts workshops, healing circles, 1:1 coaching sessions, and guided meditations for those seeking clarity.
