Worcester (My adopted home town)

WORCESTER; MY ADOPTED "HOME TOWN"
(And proud of it!)
By; Harry H. Snyder III

Every time I see "Worcester" in the paper, I scan the story to see if I recognize any names of people I used to know. When I first moved to Maine thirteen years ago, I rarely saw these names. They are non-existent now. There is no reason to expect that many people I knew still live in Worcester. When I knew these people, most of them were "just passing through." They were just passing through because that's what their parents were doing; looking for work, looking for welfare, running from an abuser, or the law, trying to start a new life, or forget the old one. They were never more then a few steps ahead of the bill collector, a landlord, an ex-husband, or the cops.
Now, my time in Worcester is a very distant memory but, once in a while, the memory becomes vivid and colored. The memories become enhanced by the way some child looks at me; pleading for a friend, looking for escape. Sometimes some bureaucrat will bring the memory back. Some stupid rule that we fought long ago in our aging mill town. Worcester was a town without much money, a town with many problems. Worcester was never a town without hope. My clearest memory was a sign, scrawled across the front of the vacant Denholm-Mc Kay Building; "Don't let the bastards run you out Stand and fight!" Worcesterites, You've gotta to love them!

Travis was a Worcesterite, Scruffy, loud and street-wise. I met this young man at Anker House, a group home for teenagers over on Institute Road. Ann, my new supervisor, really hated this kid. I have no inkling why. Maybe it was because Ann liked Travis' mother, and Travis gave his mother so many worries. Maybe it was because Travis was so hard to work with. Maybe it was because he was so blatantly male. I saw Travis for the first time about two weeks after I started working for Anker House. At that time Linda Maranda was his counselor. Linda didn't hate Travis, but she had no idea how to handle him. Linda had taken on Travis because Bob (my predecessor) hadn't liked him much either. Anyway, Anker House decided, before they hired me, that "the new guy" would get Travis. They had to wait because no one could find Travis for two weeks. Now they had him, and they were handing him over. Travis exhibited none of the sorrow or concern that usually accompanies the changing of a counselor. He just stood there and asked; "This the new guy?" Ann nodded. "Then I go with him right?" Ann nodded again. Then Ann motioned Linda toward the door. After Linda left, Ann said "I want to see you about him [she jerked her thumb toward Travis] later. Then she retreated, and left Travis and me standing there looking at each other. Travis was tall for his fourteen years. He was wearing jeans and a denim jacket. His clothing was clean but worn. He was smiling. Except for the situation, I would have believed he was happy.

Travis spoke first. Well, what now? I hadn't the foggiest idea what now, but Travis didn't allow me to think about it long. Carl (another kid in the A.H. program) tells me you're from New York. I said "yeah." He tells me you grew up there. I said "yeah" again. He asked what I thought of Worcester, and I said; "It's O.K., I guess." Travis' expression changed as if I'd flipped a TV channel-changer. "O.K. Worcester's ******* Great, and I'll beat the garbage outta anybody that says different, even if he happens to be from New York." He stood glaring at me.

"I said it's O.K. what do you expect? I've been here two weeks, I don't know it yet." Travis looked concerned. "If you don't know Worcester how you going to find kids who run away?" "Do you know where my mother's house is?" I said I didn't "Then what kind of counselor are you gonna be if you don't even know where I am when I'm home?"
That was a good question. I answered; "Ann said she would show me around in a couple of days." Travis was still irate; "What would you do if a kid got lost tonight?" I felt I was on firm ground with this question. "I'd call Ann or Linda." I smiled, but looking at Travis I knew the buzzer had just gone off and I had the wrong answer. "Let me tell you something." "Ann and Linda couldn't find the Ladies Room on Main South with a road-map and a guide dog." "So what would you do?" I admitted that I didn't know. This conversation was becoming vaguely familiar. I remember the assistant principal at my Junior High School talking to me like this after I had committed some foolish act. I attempted to regain my position. "Travis" I said, "I'd Handle it." He attempted to calm himself and said; "I'm sure you would." Then he said; "Let's go." With that he started for the door. I asked; "Where will we be going?" He said; "Since no one else has the time to introduce you to Worcester, I guess it's up to me."

We walked past Ann, who was giving me the prissy nun look, and motioning me to come and talk to her. I motioned that I was going with Travis. Ann stared daggers as we exited the group home. The day was sunny, the air was fresh, and as we got into my old Plymouth, I thought; "I bet I will like this place." I did..... Actually, I still do, and on these beautiful, snowy white, winter days here in Maine, Worcester is all I can think about.


9 December, 1993 02:04 PM ORONO MAINE