The gentle hum of the boat and the slap of waves as we skipped over the surface of Lake Huron sounded in my ears as I lay lazily at the front of the boat. I stared up into the inky black sky and marveled at the stars above. Drifting from the pier head was the spattering applause of last minute fireworks and from a large yacht beside us droned a soulful rendition of America, The Beautiful. As a balmy breeze drifted in from the calm and peaceful lake I sighed and closed my eyes, lodging this memory in my mind as one of the first times in my youth that I consciously registered a moment of bliss.

Walking through the Wolverine wilderness, the sound of the whistling wind winding through the sentinel pine trees haunted my every step. The crunch of the snowy twigs beneath me and the reassuring echo of my dad's footsteps behind me caused me to smile at the pine trees whose happy tune had just been mistook for a ghostly howl. I smiled as the brisk wind buffeted my face and enlivened my step.

Grainy sand squished through my toes as I made my way along the Oscoda dunes. Water rushed up the ebbing shoreline soaking my pant legs. A balmy breeze floated down the beach, carrying with it the smell of charcoal and cooking meats. Behind the black wall of towering pine trees was a sherbet sunset. The sunset silhouetted the shadowy mass of trees like the skyline of a sylvan city. I closed my eyes and breathed in the warm air, imbibing all of the serene energy of this breathtaking moment.

These are the memories of childhood summers spent in the great up north and consequently the happiest memories of my life. Incidentally, I do not hold in my mind any memories of Michigan's once thriving economy and therefore I do not mourn the ravage of our money system as much as others. My soul belongs to the immaculate north and the image that remains in my mind is of Michigan's natural beauty rather than its automobile empire.

However, I am not naive enough to pretend that there are no problems with the Michigan economy. As much as I would like to divert my mind toward the beauty that Michigan still holds, I realize that the smoldering ashes of ruined business will eventually set fire even to my old childhood haunts. Perhaps I sound like quite the pessimist when I say I truly do not know the solution to the state's economic crisis.

Unfortunately, I was not blessed with the mind of an economist, but what I do know is that if we were to look deep into our youthful memory we would all discover our love for Michigan. Let us not allow ourselves to be discouraged by the faltering economy of Michigan for if we truly love our state than we will save it. Let our memory spur us on to discover a solution. For if our hearts belong to Michigan, as mine does, then we will find an answer. For a wise man once said, "Where your heart is, there also will your treasure be."