It is interesting to see, from an entirely clinical point of view, the changes in emphasis and direction that any living thing faces over time. In the same way that a coastal evergreen may be twisted and gnarled by the winds, first growing in one direction and then in another, organizations like this one take a winding route as they grow. The Ikkatsu Project started almost as a whim, an excuse to kayak after tsunami debris. Not much more than that at the time. It grew from there, with expeditions in Alaska and Washington, beach cleanups and classroom courses, advocacy and programs that helped define the growing focus on freshwater microplastics, among other things.

People change over time, as well. We all do, whether we are aware of it on a daily basis or not. For each of us, there comes a time when we snag a quick glance at ourselves in a hallway mirror, in the reflection of a car window or the icy waters of an alpine tarn, and we wonder about the person staring back at us, how we got here and where it is we think we’re going. (And how we got this old, but that is another topic entirely.) We’re often wrong about our imaginary destinations, which is what keeps it all interesting, yes? But lost in all the confusion, in all the background noise that every organization has to navigate, and that each of us dances around every day on a personal level, is the fact that this is what growth is.

2020 is setting up to be a year of growth for the Ikkatsu Project. Interesting, twisting and extending growth, with new directions sprouting as well as established patterns getting stronger and more substantial. Over the next week or so, look for info on what all that means, on the programs that are moving forward, the ones that are hanging fire and the exciting new opportunities that are coming together.

It’s good, from time to time, to think about who you were, who you are and who you are becoming.