It’s been a while since I’ve posted here. I’ve been busy moving… again.
I’m officially back in Maine. But how did I wind up in Maine in the first place. There’s a story, and I think it’s time that I share it here.
The Beginning
First, I have roots in Maine. I was born in Rochester, New Hampshire, just across the Maine border. My father’s family goes back generations in New Hampshire. My mother’s family goes back generations in Maine. I lived in Maine during my early school years. But at the age of 10, my family moved across the country to Washington State to join a cult. You can learn more about that in my books:
The First Return
I’m going to share something I’ve never shared here. I’ve hinted to it, but I think the time is right to go into more detail.
During COVID, my daughter got caught up with the wrong crowd. This led to a substance abuse issue and eventually led to extreme drug-induced psychosis. I’ll spare the details, but there were several trips to the emergency room and months of sleepless nights. I tried to get help for my daughter, but the local resources refused to help, even when I specifically requested they use the Washington State Family Initiated Treatment Act.
I also discovered who was dealing the substances to my daughter and helped to get the dealer arrested in July, 2022. He’s still out on bail with a trial set for early 2027.
So between the lack of help from the community, and the potential danger of retaliation from a drug dealer, I asked my employer for the option to work remotely from Maine. I figured Maine would be more secluded and would give my daughter a chance to dry out and start over. It worked, not perfectly, but my daughter finished high school, has two years of college completed, and has been successful in the service industry.
My employer permitted the move. The president, vice president, human resources director, and my direct supervisor all signed off on the emergency relocation paperwork in late 2022. That paperwork also included notice of my own blood cancer diagnosis and need for specialists and ongoing treatment.
The Ultimatum
I secured a second year of working from Maine using FMLA, or at least that is what I was told. But within a year of moving to Maine, starting in late 2023, my employer started telling me I would have to move back to Washington State or retire. It was an unfeasible choice as moving back to Washington would put my daughter right back into the danger of addiction and retaliation. I was pressured to resign with the promise of part-time work including health benefits.
In Maine, I tried my best to find full-time work in my field. But all I could find was part-time work at low wages. Keep in mind, my full-time employment in Washington was an $85,000 a year position with benefits, not something I wanted to give up, but felt I had no choice.
So, I broadened my scope and started applying for positions in the South and the Midwest. In November, 2024, I secured employment at Volunteer State Community College in Tennessee. I worked there a little over a year while I rented out my property in Maine.
The Second Return
With a plan to move back to Maine in April, 2026, I retired from VolState at the end of 2025. The heat in Tennessee wound up being very problematic for me as one of the primary symptoms of my blood cancer is heat intolerance. Due to a lease in Tennessee, and my rental contract in Maine, that move was slightly postponed. I was, however, able to spend a fair portion of the summer in Maine to escape the heat before finalizing the move this week.
Now, I am back in my modest condo and preparing to return to work at Cabela’s to stay physically and socially active, and acquire needed health insurance coverage until I turn 65 in 2028.
But none of this should have happened. I never should have been squeezed out of my job in Washington. This is especially true because another employee was able to continue her employment from a neighboring state to me. I was told, “that’s different.” There’s more to the story, but that’s all I’m going to say for now.
The good thing is that I’m back in Maine where I can tolerate the weather and where I am at a low elevation. My condition also requires low elevation to add protection from clots and strokes. If my former employer would have simply asked a few questions about my medical needs, they’d have known all of this. – dse