Written in a voice that is charming, witty, and honest, Uncharted Waters shares the stories of a Fortune 500 executive learning to sail, learning to love, learning to fight for the water and life she holds dear. Mary Mc KSchmidt is an adventurer—a woman who wanders across southern Africa, achieves success in positions typically held by men, hikes, bikes, and camps alone up the eastern coast of Lake Michigan, and joins her fun-loving, equally-adventuresome husband on voyages across the sometimes treacherous, always unpredictable, waters of Lake Michigan. In the presence of this lake, she gains clarity, finds inner strength, and hears the whispered musings of her heart.
When she discovers Lake Michigan and all the Great Lakes are at risk, potentially damaged beyond repair, she replaces her briefcase, calculator, and business suit with a notepad, camera, and foul weather gear and embarks on a new adventure, this time to help create the political will necessary to clean up and protect the lakes. Captivating, heart-warming, and insightful, Uncharted Waters serves as a reminder that while we can live without a lot of things, clean, safe drinking water is not one of them.
Table des matières
Prologue xiii
Relationships: 1978–2003 1
The Icebreaker 2
Opening the Door 11
Two by Ten 14
The Inevitable 20
No Ropes on a Boat 25
The Helmswoman 28
Under the Stars 34
Landlocked 41
In Search of Balance 46
Good Intentions 50
View from the Top 56
Autumn Crossing 61
Pursuing Dreams: 2004–2007 65
A Wind Shift 66
Squandering Gold 70
Can One Person Make a Difference? 75
“Don’t Let It Fly” 79
Seeking Common Ground 83
The Stern Head 87
Motor Guy 90
Open to Change: 2008–2012 99
Listening to the Right Side of My Brain 100
The Whispers of Wildflowers 105
Winter Walks 113
Why I No Longer Race 115
Destination Ports 119
Telltale Signs 122
The Harbor Light 124
Searching for the Sweet Spot 127
Rituals 132
Bud 137
“Home, James” 141
Push-Button Boating 145
Thumbprint of Light 148
Protecting Our Home: 2012–2016 151
“What Is Your Deepest Dream?” 152
Emerging from the Cocoon 155
My Reader 158
September 2013 Blog: Terror in the Straits 161
July 2014 Blog: Cold Knows No Pride 165
August 2014 Blog: Good Science and the Political Will 166
June 2015 Blog: Voice of a Fisherman’s Daughter 170
November 2015 Blog: The Search for Balance
on the Indiana Shore 173
December 2015 Blog: The Asian Carp Conundrum 177
January 2016 Blog: The Shame of Flint 182
February 2016 Blog: The Water Wars Have Begun 186
April 2016 Blog: Safely Slathering Sunscreen 189
Winds of Hope 192
Seeking Balance 197
The Gift of Feedback 198
Battle Scars 200
Why Am I Marching? 204
My Hand in Yours 208
Searching for a Bridge Across a Basin 212
Why Is Dialogue So Difficult? 216
“Just the Way You Are” 219
Epilogue 222
Acknowledgements 225
Glossary 227
Bibliography 235
Notes 237
About the Author 247
A propos de l’auteur
Mary Mc KSchmidt replaces a briefcase, calculator, and business suit with a notepad, camera, and foul weather gear and journeys into unchartered waters to help build the political will necessary to clean up and protect the Great Lakes. A published writer, photographer, and blogger, when not in West Michigan, she may be found wandering the planet, usually by boat, foot, or bicycle.