currents

Dear Friends,

I’ll never forget the sinking feeling when my husband, Neal, looked left, looked right, and then looked at me. “We,” he finally admitted, “are lost.” (It was a breakthrough moment for him.)

Twenty extended family members, including a number of small children, were attempting to make our way from the Mississippi headwaters to Bemidji. We didn’t anticipate that the water level would be so high due to flooding in 1993. The all-important currents could only be detected by the subtle tilt of the wild rice.

From the dull ache in my shoulders, I deduced that canoes don’t move as well without currents. This was especially true in a swamp, so the tallest dads and uncles climbed out of the six canoes and began to drag us along. They squinted at wild rice and debated over which direction we should head. Such slogging, squinting and debating went on for several hours. It was an adventure that tested our navigation abilities, parenting skills and bladder capacity.

At first, the manly men joked, but their laughter faded with the sun…

People around the world can identify the Mississippi River on a map. Many of us drive past or over it every day. School children can spell it. So, if the Mighty Mississippi starts right here in Minnesota, why doesn't it float on our minds more often?

Published in partnership with five leading community foundations, this special issue of IQ focuses on the critical challenges and opportunities facing the Mississippi River and its tributaries. In recent years, several communities have initiated large-scale efforts to embrace their forgotten riverfronts as an impressive economic strategy.

At the same time, a recent federal study suggested that Minnesota is responsible for sending 75 percent more harmful nutrients downstream over the past two decades. No matter how undetectable, we must remember that all currents connect us.

Which brings me back to my story. Eventually, we found the river’s channel and we made camp by nightfall. Our site was a big mud puddle. The evening was, um, memorable. Think young children, soaking wet.

In all fairness, our family loves the annual canoe trips, thanks to the coordination by Uncle Jerry and Aunt Cora Jean. We have great adventures, make many memories, and keep the currents moving between generations. And that is why I’ll always appreciate God’s amazing gift of the Mississippi River.

Enjoy the magazine!







Kathy Gaalswyk, President
Initiative Foundation