The Journey

It is the last, lone leaf on the oak tree that calls to me, that pulls my thoughts away from the all-consuming conundrum that has shadowed me for monthsI was born with “Responsibility” tattooed across my shoulders. First—and always, with family. Then with career....

I have not thought about my first mentor in decades, not until I saw a young woman standing on the edge of a dune, photographing a Lake Michigan sunset. Evening after breathtakingly beautiful evening. “Can you do it?” asked Nick Sharkey, the managing editor for the...

The votes for the Uncharted Waters book cover are in! Ninety-four people weighed in—47 selecting the porthole, 47 choosing the chart. Over 58% percent of women voted for the porthole, 70% of men preferred the chart. The art/the science. The right...

Which of these book covers peaks your interest? Would prompt you to pull it off a retailer’s shelf for a “good summer read?” Or grab your attention on Amazon? The porthole or the chart?  Would you vote? Please? As many of you know, this summer I am...

Near the gathering site for tomorrow's march We are a country of immigrants and descendants of immigrants. Me, included. In the mid 1800’s, people of my ethnic origin faced NINA signs, “No Irish Need Apply,” when they immigrated to the United States, hoping to...

Jogging through the white and black hues of winter’s early mornings, it is easier for me to hear the whispers of angels than during “office hours.” I say that tongue-in-cheek as I have not worked in a formal office for almost thirteen years. But my mind is slow to...

Everything was different last year. No snow. Balmy weather. Even Santa, always good-natured, seemed jollier than usual. Perhaps he was anticipating the rare opportunity to deliver gifts on Christmas Eve in his “baby,” a metallic gray Corvette. After all, his baby...

The Saugatuck Dunes State Park For the last several months I have anguished over how best to advocate for Lake Michigan without contributing to the polarization ripping apart our communities, our country, and our planet.Last month, I attended the Michigan...

They serve no master save the water. Over 320 strong, members of the Waterkeeper Alliance are grassroots leaders protecting everyone’s right to “drinkable, fishable, swimmable water everywhere.” Ten are located in Great Lakes waterways.Every Waterkeeper program is...

Finishing first across the finish line in the 4th race. (Photo courtesy of Jamey Maher.) In light and variable winds, under a scorching sun, and with temperatures hovering near 90 degrees, twenty-eight teams of sailors raced last weekend off the eastern shores of...

Is it possible?  It is the mouth of the Kalamazoo River that currently troubles me. Upstream, the Environmental Protection Agency continues cleanup efforts at the Allied Paper Superfund site. And while it took four years and over $1.2 billion, Enbridge...

When the tall, slightly gray-haired woman hastened over to the table where Rubin and I were sitting, all the memories of that frigid day in May of 2008 came flooding back. I was on a solo journey that spring--hiking, biking, and camping up the eastern coast of...