Whether you live inland or on the coast, making a life in Maine means getting to know your neighbors, and learning to listen to one another. Being heard is powerful, and so is steering into conflict with the desire to keep listening. We have two stories about the power of making your voice heard, and of listening to your heart. The first is the story of a reporter from Skowhegan, Maine, who fights to keep working and living after losing his vocal cords. The second is about a town that comes to see a massive cruise ship docked in port during the Pandemic almost like a kind of family member.