Leaving the Lake

It was a tough decision, and not a tough decision. After 50 years on Big Portage Lake in Washtenaw / Livingston county, I’ve decided to sell the lakefront home that has been in my family for over 70 years and leave the lake.

When I was a kid, I spent almost all of my waking hours on the water. My parents were kind enough to let me live a fantastically free, adventurous life on the water. Learning to sail when I was 7, able to navigate a wood row boat with a 3 horse evinrude motor at about 8, the “water world” was mine, all mine. A typical day found me gone from home at around 8 am, with a requirement to be back home by dark, which in mid summer was about 10pm. Most times I was gone that entire time. No cell phones, no checking in, if a problem came up like engine trouble, thunderstorms, finding something for lunch (or not), etc, etc, I was expected to just plain figure it out on my own…and I did. We were tough, skinny, wiry, smart little kids.

We swam, fished, snorkeled, caught turtles, pulled each other behind boats on my parents’ wooden front lawn table top “circle board”, and the days ran by so fast. I was never, ever bored. I was frustrated that the days weren’t longer, because I just couldn’t get enough of the outdoor stuff. I never thanked my parents enough for the wonderful, wonderful freedom, and for forcing us to figure stuff out on our own. It made us into adults who feel like there’s nothing we can’t do.

Our parents taught us respect and consideration of others. If we went to close with our motorboats to someone fishing, our parents would ground us from the boats, a fate close to death in mid July. We learned fast, I tell you, to give others a wide berth and not disturb their enjoyment of the lake. We saw to it that we didn’t bother others. Yes, even back then the lake was sort of busy, but everyone showed consideration to others, so even those busy weekends were manageable, safe, and fun for everyone, regardless of how you chose to use the lake.

The years went by. The lake became busier. But something else happened, too. People became pushy, selfish, and downright ignorant of boating laws, and in general lost their consideration for others on the water. I suppose it went with a general lack of respect and consideration in all of our society, but on the water it’s even more important, and more evident when folks just think of themselves.

So what am I talking about? What do I mean? It can’t be that bad…but it is. I’m talking about trying to fish and a boat coming by at full speed no more than 50 feet away. A joy riding boat, a wreckless and loud jet ski, or a 5 foot wave generating wakeboard boat, or zig-zagging tuber has the whole lake to run around on. Why come so close to people when they are fishing? Why bring their chaotic sport right over to someone trying to enjoy a peaceful sport? Either they don’t understand that the boat noise and giant waves are very disruptive to those that are fishing, or they know and don’t care, or worse, they know and want to disrupt others on purpose. You know, the “in your face” crowd. Yes, the latter does exist. On more than one occasion, I have held out both of my arms to the side in a “what are you doing” gesture to a boat speeding by very close, only to have instant finger signs as a response. They knew exactly what they were doing, and were just waiting for me to say something.

2 years ago a tuber circled around me as I was fishing. As I watched them go all the way around, I didn’t know the waves were compounding and heading right for me. I was caught standing up in 7 foot waves, lost my balance, fell, hit my shoulder and face on the deck and rolled overboard, losing a $200.00 fishing rod and almost my life. As I held on to the boat trying to regain my senses, I saw the boat going away. Those in the boat were laughing and had their fists held high in, I don’t know, some sort of victory sign.

This year I was watching a female loon on the lake for about 20 minutes when all of the sudden I couldn’t believe my eyes. A boat ran her over at full speed, on purpose, as they looked back to see if they “got her”. She of course dove and surfaced unharmed about 100 yards away, but I don’t think I surfaced unharmed. That hurt.

And the l-o-u-d stereos. Why sub-woofers that can be heard around the entire lake? Why try to sing (yell) over the top of them? Why drive your boat slowly, right past someone trying to enjoy the peace and make them hear it? As my Dad would say, “why force everyone else to hear your crap”?

I know what your’e thinking. “Who do you think you are?” Or, “too bad, get over it”…but I can’t. I’ve tried for several years now. I’m sorry, but it was a better world then. If you haven’t been taught (part of the nobody’s gonna tell me what to do crowd), or haven’t experienced the outdoors in a setting where folks are considerate of others, then there is no way anyone can convince you that consideration and respect is better. Conversely, if you have experienced consideration and respect, then you know exactly what I mean, and feel just as desperate about the state of our lake society as I do.

But the lake. I just can’t take it anymore. Most people will admit “it’s crazy, wreckless, and insane out there”, but no one has the guts to do anything about it. So I’m leaving. Forget the childhood memories of a better time. Got to move on to a lake where there is far less of everything above. Big Portage has become, as one of my friends said, a “party lake”, or a “people lake”, as opposed to a place where quiet enjoyment and all sports can co-exist.

So, I leave it to those who would continue to destroy it. They can tear it up. Choke it out with weeds from fertilizer. Tear up the shorelines with the 5 foot waves from the wake board boats that actually pump in ballast water to make bigger waves. Drive the small fishing boats out of Little Portage so they can have it all to themselves. Get in everybody’s face and don’t take any crap from anyone. Rock the fishing people and make them sit down as they go by. Screw the fishing people. I leave it to the destroyers who take over 1/2 of the lake at a time as they zig zag back and forth with thier tubers. They got rights after all. I leave it to those who would shatter any remnant of peace with the jet skis even as they cut in and out of swimming areas and just make the whole environment unnerving general chaos. They can continue to turn up the boat stereos so everyone has to hear them. Damn all others. All that matters is the “woo hoo and yee ha” crowds, and their fun, and nobody better go up against them.

Like a foriegn invasive species, they’ve moved in, arrogantly dominated, and pushed out those that were before them…and were better than them.