I never thought I would admit this, but I am thankful to have grown up in New Baltimore, Michigan. Living there for 10 years, all anyone my age did was complain about living there. Since then, I went away to college leaving that previously assumed lame excuse of a town behind. Once I settled in at Michigan State University, I noticed something major was missing. That ‘something’ missing was Lake St. Clair- just north of the Detroit River and south of Lake Huron. Locals spend many summers out on St. Clair. It’s considered a boater’s haven. Many summer days throughout the years I found myself kayaking on the lake. This for me is my reflection time, where I think about almost anything pertaining to my life. This one instance was different. I thought about the lake and not myself. The lake brings everyone together. I cannot recall a time where an individual has gone out on the lake and had a horrible time. It brings friends, family, and strangers together to have a lovely time and take in the beauty St. Clair has to provide. Most people respect St. Clair, but others do not. Littering is an important concern- we are destroying the place we’ve all come to love, no admiration for the lake that is the source of unforgettable summer memories for all of us who live in New Baltimore. When I moved away from the lake, I didn’t realize how fortunate I had been all these years to have lived there. I wish more people had the same experience as myself- I had imagined what life in New Baltimore would be like without the lake-lifeless. This lake gives the community life and something to always look forward to, anytime of the year. I’m afraid that the ungratefulness towards what nature has provided my community will gradually destroy what we cherish the most and what makes New Baltimore memorable- Lake St. Clair.