Kayaking Journal: At the Corner of Peace and Quiet

I always say, if you are an environmentalist, you have to be out in it to appreciate it, know it, to connect with nature in a way that allows understanding on a level up close and personal. The connection between eating in a way that harms the environment least is a high priority with many. But if you don’t have a love for the environment, how is it worth fighting for?

My book-writing life has been intense lately. I had given up my weekly Wednesday kayaking with our neighborhood group. For two years, I’ve borrowed a kayak from kind members in the group. I finally bit the bullet and bought my own this week. I launched it this morning and loved going out alone. I saw a cormorant strutting his or her stuff. It is truly an amazing bird that is equally comfortable above or below the water. They are recognizable in their form, hanging out to dry after a long underwater swim.

I intend to post more from the trips. You can see so much more from a kayak as it slips stealthily into mangrove coves and shallow waters where no other loud or large boat can go. Using energy without fossil fuels…another big environmental benefit. I saw two motorboats and a jet-ski on my brief early-morning 30-minute trip. The world would definitely be better off with more kayaks. Until you’re in one, it’s hard to appreciate that going slowly, very slowly, is quite alright. It is divine.