Zen and the Art of Rockhounding

By JEN HAZELBAKER Rockhound | Writer

Zen defined: a Japanese word for meditation, peacefulness, presence.

Rituals. How many of us have them without even realizing we do? It could be as simple as how you set up and enjoy your morning coffee or tea, or as complex as planning, preparing, and tending a garden. What they have in common is that in one way or another they give us a feeling of zen.

To a Great Lakes rockhound, getting out on the beach and what you do while you’re out there is a ritual in and of itself. It’s what we do to bring about those feelings of zen. We start by thinking of where it is that we want to go; we decide what rocks we want to find, what beach we want to go to, and when we can get there.

This could be a spur of the moment decision to drive an hour to Lake Huron for puddingstones, or a trip to look for agates in the Upper Peninsula that took months to plan. We might comb through posts in the Michigan Rockhounds Facebook group to see what luck others have had at our chosen location, or consult a book on Michigan rocks and minerals.

We think about the tools we’ll need once we’re there: a bag for our treasures, maybe a spray bottle or a rock scoop to pull an intriguing find out of water that is just a little too deep to reach on our own— perhaps a rock hammer or hand lens, appropriate shoes, clothing, water, snacks, and bug repellent.

Once we’re there, though, that’s when the heart of our ritual happens. We breathe in the clean air and revel in the sound of the waves and the wind. We raise our faces to the sun, eyes closed, and smile.