On my knees for the cause

In late August I was staying with my childhood friend, Carol in Scarborough Maine. Bored with trying to fill my time and feeling pretty lonely, I decided to head over to the first day of Occupy Maine in Portland. Listening to the radio, I heard the song Revolution by the Jefferson Airplane. I was ready for something to happen; little did I know how profoundly my life would change that day. Surrounded by people who had gathered in Monument Square, I was quickly put to work using my artistic talent to make signs, in spite of not really knowing what, exactly, I should be writing. I have to say it was exhilarating just to be a part of something other than the usual cocktails and laughing sessions I was used to in my social life. I intently listened to people and looked at what others had included in their signs. Some were elaborate and required lots of thought, some were very simple..End the Fed. I learned a lot about what is going on in our government, the lies, the deception, the fact that so many people were totally unaware of what was going on or even cared that there was a protest happening that concerned their daily lives. The crowd swelled to around 300 that day. Taking breaks from light rain that fell throughout the day, I found a coffee shop without reliable internet access and moved to the library across the street. I posted to as many friends as I thought would be interested, or even just supportive of something I was interested in. There were food donations, inexpensive rain ponchos and camaraderie to spare. We held our signs, shouted at people in cars to join us and made friends. I lasted well into the night but when 2:30 am rolled around and people began pitching tents, I held the blanket that had been handed to me tightly around my now shivering body and yawned. We were now a few dozen people gathered under small awnings and huddled in a coffee shop that had stayed open past closing especially for us. If I had been in my 20s, 30s, even 40s, I would have braved the elements and stayed, but I looked around and mentioned that I would appreciate an escort to my car, parked a few blocks away. A gentleman that had just finished a side splitting comedy routine about side effects of prescription drugs including compulsive gambling, offered to walk me, and we headed off into the night.