Dear readers,
I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a fear of the water. As someone who can’t swim, even a calm day on the lake can spark fear of getting lost, of falling in too deep, of what might lie below. And that’s without mentioning the currents. The currents that push and pull violently, as nature does, shape our lands for better or worse. Whether we like it or not, whether we fear it or not, water will do as it likes.
Wisconsin is a land defined by its lakes and rivers. We rely on them for our livelihoods, for our recreation, for our industry, but the water is wild and the currents push and pull us. With that in mind, it feels important for us to look not forward or backward, but right down at our own feet. The question is: Where are we now?
In times of unprecedented change, the waves have shifted us left, right, up and down, so we aim to take stock of where that leaves us. What do we have left? What are our lives like right now? The answers to these questions are difficult to find, but like true Wisconsinites, we’ve decided to take our boat out on the water and look forward to the horizon.
While reading through this issue, I anticipate you’ll find some of the same things I have: a little bit of whimsy, a sense of
adventure and, most importantly, hope.
There will always be more that connects us than divides us and if you’re looking for proof, it’s right in front of you. Twenty-five people from different backgrounds came together to make this magazine, imbuing each story with the values we all share. I bet by the time you make it to the end of Curb: Currents, you’ll be just as proud of each and every one of them as I am.
Gabriella Hartlaub
Editor in Chief
Feature photo by Jonás Tijerino