As I sit here, late at night, staring at a blinking cursor and listening to one of those sound wave channels on YouTube that are supposed to help you block out distractions (distractions like the 3- and 4-year-old upstairs who have come down thrice because they “aren’t tired”), I try to put my finger on what I’m feeling in this moment. In this exact moment, I am sitting on the precipice of a wonderful celebration. Precisely 24 hours from now, I will be coming down off the high of honoring eight truly talented business leaders who through their work or through the work of their organizations have made our region of the state a better place to live. That’s a very cool thing, and even though I haven’t experienced it yet, having done awards events like this for 20 years now, I know it will be special. I’ll recap these winners in the weeks to come and how the Community Leadership Awards event goes, but those stories are for another day, because …

My writing trance got broken … by a YouTube commercial. A YouTube commercial for a political candidate — which one, doesn’t matter. The commercial went something like this: “This political candidate running for office is terrible, they did this awful thing, and that gruesome thing, too. I’m a real Mainer, and I could never vote for the,” then the disclaimer of “paid for by people who want the other candidate.”

I’m so exhausted by it, and it’s only June.

I’m tired of the rage cycles. I’m tired of being bombarded by some twisted version of a fact that portends to be this universe-defining moment of a candidate’s life and definitely predicts who they will forever be going forward (“If she did that, you know she will do this next” or “He has that in is past, which means this is in his future”).

I don’t want my life, and the next five months, to be filled with that. I just read that $384 million dollars will be spent on the Platner-Collins race alone. What?! Will there literally be any commercials left on TV, radio, print or online? I mean $384 million has got to be pretty darn close to every minute of airtime for five months, right? Will there even be airtime left for the two to three gubernatorial candidates or are we just going to have to share memes for that race?

You see what happened there? I almost went back and erased it because I went down a stream of consciousness cycle of cynicism. I went down that cycle because when that is all that is around you — when it fills your airwaves, column inches and social media — it infects you. It was so easy for me to go from being thankful about being on the precipice of a joyous event to spiraling into cynicism.

Sadly, I think that is very relatable for all of us.

So, let’s choose not to do that.

Let’s intentionally decide, here and now, that when there is joy, we will recognize joy, and when there is not joy, we will manifest it for ourselves. Let’s challenge ourselves to engage in acts of celebration and thoughtfulness. Let’s applaud each other. Let’s actively tell people we appreciate them.

I’ll start. Here are four examples to lean into, that I hope you can top in the coming days and weeks, to find your joy and manifest it for others. Let’s get competitive — try and beat these.

Twice this year, in partnership with Main Street Bath, I have been blessed to be a part of a ribbon-cutting train where we celebrate multiple businesses back-to-back-to-back. I met an oyster sommelier (I didn’t know that was a thing) who has a four-seat oyster bar called The Parlor. I met a woman who moved here from overseas to make a career by beautifying others at Empire Nail Spa. I’ve met numerous young families and seen their proud spouses look at them as they cut the ribbon, symbolizing that this dream that they are building their family on is worth it. I’ve met subject matter experts who know so much about their specialty that it inspired me to do what I love again and write more.

Another set of joy along these lines was at Half Pint Giants — the new ice cream shop in Brunswick that took over the Frappe Shoppe by the Tontine Mall — and the couple launching that to bring joy to others. Who is sad at an ice cream shop? I saw the overwhelming joy from a huge turnout for the ribbon-cutting of Nest on Maine last week, as over 70 supporters turned out to celebrate their move into the former Cool As a Moose space. And I know I will see that joy again this Friday when Phil, Mattie, Angela and their staff cut the ribbon at the new Moderation Brewing location in the old fire station.

I heard that Hairspray at Main State Music Theatre was pure, incomparable joy, and I’ve also heard that after the tough days the pandemic brought, that MSMT is back to where they were with patrons. MSMT means so much to so many citizens in the region, but also, they are a catalyst for so many businesses in the region. “1776” opens on June 24, with the obvious intention of running through the Independence Day holiday, and that is expected to be a triumph as well.

And finally, for my last piece of joy, my 4-year-old will finish his first year of pre-K tomorrow, and although he doesn’t quite understand the milestone yet, it hasn’t been lost on me. I’ve seen him grow and change in ways I couldn’t have imagined without witnessing it myself, and I am truly excited to celebrate that milestone this weekend and to imagine what’s next for him.

So, that’s what I’m focusing on. In a world of cynicism, I choose joy. I hope you do, too.

Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick-Topsham Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Maine Public is pleased to be a media sponsor of Opera Maine’s production of Romeo and Juliette.

Experience Shakespeare’s most popular love story through Opera Maine’s production of this classic story celebrating the power of young love and the price of destiny. Romeo and Juliette will be performed at Merrill Auditorium July 23^rd and 26^th.

Maine Public members are eligible for 15% off tickets for this event, please use the code MainePublicOpera.

BIDDEFORD –– A new state highway improvement project aims to address safety issues along one of Biddeford’s busiest roadways.

The Maine Department of Transportation is planning a project to redesign a 1,500-foot segment of Route 1, known locally as Elm Street, with work expected to begin in early 2027. The work will stretch from the southern end of the Saco River Bridge to the Main Street intersection.

“The proposed improvements are intended to reduce conflicts and improve overall safety for all users,” DOT Spokesperson Andrew Gobeil said in a statement.

Among other safety issues, the new project aims to address the intersection with Lincoln Street. According to a DOT report, the intersection has had nine reported crashes between 2021 and 2023 alone, making it a “high-crash location.”

Jason Beaulieu owns Jason’s Auto Service, which is right up the street from the Lincoln Street intersection. He said a rear-ender accident just recently happened right in front of his business, and welcomed safety-related improvements.

“Route 1’s a busy road, a lot of things going on,” he said. “You know, if we can make things better, I like seeing our money going into roads, into transportation and everything.”

Other DOT documents indicate that higher traffic volumes in recent years have contributed to “congestion, delay, and operational challenges.”

The project includes adding new signals at key intersections, including Lincoln Street. The project also calls for new curbs and sidewalks to accommodate pedestrians. The plan will convert Pearl Street into a one-way roadway, with traffic moving away from Elm Street.

Officials said they are still seeking public input to refine the project’s final design, but they expect to solicit bids this fall, with work to begin in early 2027.

Beaulieu said the work might be noisy when it happens, but he doesn’t think it will really disrupt his business, and he looks forward to the benefits when it’s done.

“Any kind of progress is good,” he said. “That’s what we’ve got to do.”