Editor:

Public lands can bring out the best in us because we are social animals who are really good at communicating. Our conversations with strangers offer opportunities to talk about things that matter — the weather, of course, and our careers and opinions. I have found that while enjoying places where we share ownership, we tend to look for the best in each other.

While circumnavigating Isle Royale in a canoe recently, we stopped at a dock and met a most interesting couple from Brooklyn, NY. They are Broadway performers who have been on tour with “Mama Mia.” They love what they do, sharing joy and beautiful ABBA tunes, and it occurs to me that all people who are enthusiastic about their careers are contributing to human progress, simply by sharing their enthusiasm.

How different were these two from the man we met at another dock whose job involves transporting oil across fragile landscapes in an unsafe pipeline. He admitted that we will eventually wean ourselves from our dependence on fossil fuels, but told me, “It pays the bills.” Thinking about money in his own pocket helps him justify actions that he knows are harmful.

We met girls from summer camps, and their singing and laughter buoyed my spirits. In chatting with these young women, I learned that they all planned to pursue careers that would honor this beautiful planet and serve in some meaningful way.

Perhaps it’s a generational thing … In a society that has valued hard work and financial independence since the Great Depression left its scars on those who came of age in the 1930s, many people have chosen careers because of the salaries involved, not because they find the work meaningful, interesting or enjoyable.

Four generations later, young people are free from the fear of hunger, and the options for employment are myriad. We old-timers can encourage the youngsters in our lives by, for one thing, admitting the mistakes we made and working for solutions. Mine is the generation who gave the world plastics …

Public lands tend to enlarge our perspective. Free from the constant barrage of commercial stimuli, including news sources that feed our fears, we can receive the blessings of nature and community that expand and deepen our caring. Bound by natural processes that promote healing, we humans will reach our potential when we honor our connections to every living thing.

Caroline Peterson

Houghton