My hiatus from “Notes” is ending after rethinking how this space fits in with my writing. During the pandemic, I set out on a journey from my home office, in lockdown, like Fra Mauro, the Venetian cartographer who entertained stories of journeys from merchants and travelers in his cloistered monastery. For me, it was an interesting journey to the edge of the Great Lakes, from the “Surfin’ Sheboygan” in Wisconsin to a message in a bottle along the shores of Lake Superior, to the restoration of the industrial shoreline in Downriver Detroit to solo kayaker in Lake Ontario. I realized that it was a journey without a destiny and that I’d know when I got there. I arrived at an ending without really understanding where I was. I had created patchwork of curiosities that occurred along the lakes — with a significant share of environmental content. But I couldn’t say where I arrived. Still can’t, but I know that I write from an edge that I understand as the Third Coast. And while our friends along the Gulf Coast claim that same identity, I think folks up here know, if not by shear geographical distance, this is an international coast that has been more of a gray area than a border (though the second Trump presidency promises to redefine that boundary and add to the separation caused by the 9-11 attacks). I am less interested in entertaining the stories that would define the social geography of the region than I am creating my own journeys, perhaps to some of those same locales, and perhaps inner journey along the watershed.
Since I paused my blog, I discovered “Great Lakes Odyssey Radio Hour, ” broadcast at 10 p.m. on WCMU Public Media (www.radio.wcmu.org), Central Michigan University. The program notes that the region I was exploring with this blog is home to over 55 million people on both sides of the coast. I am reminded that while I was looking out on the water from the American shore, the region is historically and currently less of a border and more of a shared space, certainly a shared environmental and recreational space. Tom Leonard, host, is set to return with a new series in January. You’ll find him on LinkedIn, where he recently posted about an environmental summer camp held in Michigan for young people. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:
“The summer months in the Great Lakes region offer a perfect time to engage youth in local cultural and ecological adventures to expand their appreciation of the place in which they live and ultimately in reinforcing their future roles as community leaders. Unfortunately, with schools for the most part closed, many kids lack access to camps or cottages to enjoy the magical and inspirational days of summer around the sweetwater seas.
“For the past two summers I have directed such programming in the Saginaw Bay region with the help of the YMCA and numerous other partners. Given the success of the initiative, I contacted a range of individuals and organizations with the idea of expanding similar efforts throughout the entire watershed under the banner of Great Lakes Summer Odysseys. I have been heartened to hear of favorable reactions from a wide circle of friends in Canada and the US.
“The effort is in its early developmental stage, and I intend over the Christmas holidays to better flesh out the proposaI. I would appreciate any ideas you may have that could lend weight toward achieving Great Lakes Summer Odysseys activities in the warm months of 2025 and beyond!” To learn more Great Lakes Odyssey, contact Tom at tuleonard@msn.com.
I selected a photo from one of my inspirations, John Malone, who took me out on several voyages on Lake St. Clair, ending in a squall that capsized his sailboat and left us treading water long enough to never forget… In the meantime, I plan to resume my journey along the Third Coast in the new year, if not sooner.
