Celebrating Pine Islanders: Paul Pichon
Pine Island Leaders of Tomorrow Program and Pine Island Playhouse co-founder Paul Pichon said while art is an enormous part of his identity, he would describe himself as a teacher and mentor, however, perhaps a more apt description, he admits, might be to describe himself as someone who loves to learn.
“I’m very interested in learning and furthering my own understanding. It seems very interesting considering how I handled my own school-life when I was young,” Pichon said with a chuckle.
Much of his life as an artist is carried out in public, such as it is acting in the Pine Island Playhouse. While other aspects of art in his life are more private and meditative, he said.
Pichon came to Pine Island with his wife, Nichole, in 2010. Her family, he said, had been out here for quite a while, since the 1970s.
“We moved here from Indiana and hit the ground running — tried to figure out how to get involved with things. Eventually we got to the afterschool (PILOT) program and figured out how we could be helpful in the community, which was also a way to get to know people in the beginning, that turned into a lot of different things,” Pichon said.
Within a year of moving here, he said he and Nichole were making home-goods, such as items one might see for sale at any of the island markets, and working with Nichole’s cousin Mel Meo, collecting enough sea grapes to make jelly in order to can and sell it later that weekend. It was then that he knew Pine Island was home.
“It felt very islandy to go around — this was Mel so — she’s wild — she knew all of these people that we could just go to their house and they’d be fine with us taking their sea grapes. Or, at least, that’s what she told us and we just believed her. That was probably the most I’ve ever felt like a pirate, and that kind of solidified things for me, I think,” Pichon said.
The Pine Island Playhouse has been one of the most obvious contributions Pichon has made to the island, although he insists it is more of a group effort. He likes to be larger than life whenever possible, especially in front of the kids, he said. Teaching the kids that it’s OK to let go and be silly in the right environment is something that’s become important to him, he said, referring to his duty to the kids as a “commitment to nonsense.”
“Ultimately, my biggest contribution is in the kids of the island. It’s where I love to be. I’ve dedicated my life, at least for now, to this — making sure I’m a stable, encouraging and kind presence to anybody that will show up, and love them without question as long as they’re here,” Pichon said.
If asked about Pine Island by someone who’s never been here, Pichon said he would describe it as a place where the people know each other. The kind of place that tends to be spoken of in past tense, but is, in fact, happening still, he said.
“It feels old fashioned, in some senses, like the pace, while there are still plenty of modern things going on,” Pichon said.
Now that the PILOT Program is more than 10 years old, Pichon said one of his favorite things has been watching former PILOT kids come back as adults to mentor the new PILOT kids, after having taken their place out in the world.
“Seeing the feedback of the afterschool program, where we have older kids, who have actual jobs and are choosing to come back and participate because they want to, without us having to do any sort of coercion — that is when I see it as the most successful. We see those kids showing up who want to continue being a part of it, but now they get to be a part of it in a slightly different way than they were before. Facilitating those kind of healthy relationships is very special,” Pichon said.
The PILOT program is held at Pine Island United Methodist Church at 5701 Pine Island Road, at The Center, across from the Fire Station. Contact the church at 239-283-2386 for more information.
If he had one wish for Pine Island, he said it would be more safe spaces for kids to be, where they aren’t looked down on or frowned at by members of the community. He said, ideally, he would like to see real places for kids to be without it being an issue for somebody.
“Sometimes it feels like there are a lot of people who tell kids to play outside and then ask where their parents are and question why they are playing outside. That really irritates me,” Pichon said.
To reach PAULETTE LeBLANC / pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com, please email