Meeting Steve on Maine Street

Date: 10-14-13
Location: Ogunquit, Maine
Written by: DJ Doran

TAKE NOTE: This post was written while DJ & Joey were on their RV roadtrip across America. Sadly, their trip ended before it really got started. No worries, Shelly & Lucia are taking the Connextions Out n About Roadtrip to new heights, exploring one RV park at a time!

From the very beginning, chatting on Facebook, I could sense Steve’s positive energy.  I am not a huge fan of Facebook and I am even more skeptical of most of the people that dwell there, but I try to keep an open mind.  Steve was always very polite and exceedingly respectful during our conversations. He stood out in that vast ocean of web noise as someone that we should definitely try to meet and get to know in person, if we could during our journey.  So, when he invited us to visit him in Ogunquit Maine if we were in the region both Joey and I agreed that we should go. 

We walked into the very popular gay hangout Maine Street Video Lounge and Night Club www.mainestreetogunquit.com and immediately picked out Steve, who was working behind the bar.  He was just as I envisioned.  Joey and I sat down to order our drinks and get to know him.  We began by telling him and a few other local patrons about our adventure thus far and the people we have met along the way.  It was amazing to hear the feedback about our road trip, what we were trying to do and why.  It validated our perception that there is a huge LGBT majority that is not really represented in the media like us that would connect with our journey. 

After a few drinks and the brief tour of Maine Street, we were on a first name basis with our new friends.  We talked about Ogunquit, what its like to live here during the tourist season and what we should try to see and do during our visit. 

One of the locals that we met while socializing at Maine Street was Jake.  He was a bear of a fellow and straight.  He was witty and intelligent and opinionated and most important of all, friendly.  Joe and I talked with Jake and Steve and the others as we got to know everyone.  As the minutes turned to hours and the daylight melted into night we realized that we hadn’t yet found a place to park Priscilla overnight.  As I announced our dilemma to our new friends it was amazing to see everyone jump up to try to help us find a resolution.  It wasn’t very long until someone piped up and said Norm Paquin, the owner of Maine Street Video Lounge and Night Club had offered us a place in his parking lot right in front of the building and near the center of town, we couldn’t have asked for a better location for Priscilla!  With our parking situation settled we went back into the bar and let ourselves relax among our new friends, excited for what the next day would bring.

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