4. Ship Without a Rudder OR A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Niagara

Watertown, New York was once known as “The Great American City.” Now, its paper industry is collapsing, its economy is dependent on the military, and everything except its one antique store is closed on Sunday. I don’t stay long, opting instead for the shores of Lake Ontario, where I meet a kind gnomish man who offers to feed me dinner. While we eat potato salad and hot dogs, we find common ground on the subjects of bird watching, camping, and the taste of a fresh local tomato (versus one imported from Mexico). I then discover, as two dozen friends and family arrive, that my host is a fundamentalist Christian farmer, and that what I’ve been invited to is his fortieth wedding anniversary. Nervous at first, I’m quickly drawn into conversation with Mark, a member of the Bible community who offers me the slogan, “conviction over convenience.” I begin to draw connections between the corporate abandonment of Watertown and the celebration of commitment and community that surrounds me on the shores of Lake Ontario.