Sometimes we all need a break. A place to get away. A place to put things from work on hold, even just for a little while. Somewhere to be alone and just clear your head. Luckily we have many places to do that in the Northland.
I needed that break after a tough week of work, with an assignment that hit a little too close to home. So I headed out to Wisconsin Point Thursday, June 4, to clear my head and do a little beach glass hunting. It’s become a favorite activity to do with my boys, so I thought I’d go for a solo hunt. And of course I brought the camera with “just in case.” I’ve been shooting so long now that my body feels out of balance without the backpack on.
After a quick drive, I parked in Lot 1. There were a decent amount of cars in the lot. It was a nice night, and more and more people have been meeting at the point as the shelter at home orders are lifted. I walked over the boardwalk and hung a right. I greeted a pair walking with a dog and my hunt was on.
There’s one. Another one. Green one. Blue one (my 8-year old would have been impressed, blue is hard to come by). Soon I had to tighten the drawstring on my shorts as my pockets filled with “shoreline ice,” as my boys call it.
I took a break and sat on a washed up stump. The lonely scene felt like it needed to be captured. So the camera came out. One photo turned into 10, then more. The camera stayed out, as it tends to, but this evening I looked at things a little different.
I looked a little closer at things — sometimes the smaller pieces make up the bigger story. There was no story to tell tonight, perhaps that's what was needed. Maybe no story was the reset button?
So I continued to hunt, with my camera in hand. There wasn’t a soul around as I walked the shoreline, but every so often the waves crashed in a way that sounded like someone was splashing behind me. Almost like a reminder. I’d check just in case.
With my pockets full, the sun gave way to the moon, and my head seemed clear enough to venture back to my truck.
Nature seems to have the antidote when times get tough, so don’t be afraid to get outside and reset yourself when you need to.
Jed Carlson is the Telegram's photographer. He can be reached at jcarlson@superiortelegram.com.
