Slow No Wake

Did you know that the "Slow No Wake" signs on a lake mean that within those boundaries your motorized water vehicle must move at the slowest speed possible while still maintaining steering control and forward motion? 

This slow-but-still-steering-and-moving-forward speed protects swimmers, prevents boating collisions, reduces shoreline corrosion, and allows marshes and wetlands near the shore to thrive. 

Slow No Wake. I've been observing the huge and unpleasant (for this unathletic girl) wake left by a boat. The path a boat leaves behind it in the water rises up, jostles everything around it, and continues to reverberate to the shore, either delighting or terrifying those in the water. 

There I am floating on my raft, and a fast boat creates the kind of wake that topples me. 

Slow No Wake! Slow No Wake!

I like thinking of summertime as an invitation to slow ourselves down to the minimum activity. Our relaxation and true rest, like a watercraft obeying this ordinance, contributes to the whole ecosystem. We leave no wake so others might enjoy their own flourishing and restful moments. 

I'm thinking about the wake I leave.