Doing My Part

So yesterday I had plans to meet up with a wonderful friend of mine as it had been WAY too long since our last gathering. Since I often complain internally how I miss living so close to the beach, (yes 15mins away is far when you spent 1.5yrs living a mere 6 blocks away) I suggested that we meet up and walk on the beach for our gathering. She of course accepted. And we met. But rather than just gabbing away along the sand, we decided to gab away with bags in our hands, bags that would be used to clean the beach. Crazy huh, mixing productivity and pleasure.

Now, for anyone who has ever been to Santa Monica Beach you are well aware of the many trash cans that line the sand, so many that it's almost obnoxious. Yet, with all these trash cans people still find it impossible to rid of their own trash. It is ...well, obnoxious. I mean, ok, I can kinda understand if you were enjoying a snack after a surf and a tiny piece of a wrapper caught wind and took off, but what I can't understand is the number of 42 ounce Big Gulp and Circle K cups, food containers, globs of paper towls, and 'personal items' that were found. I just can't believe that people really don't notice that they 'happen' to drop these items nor that they are THAT lazy that they can't walk it to one of the surrounding trash cans 100 ft away. I'm mean come on now, even if you don't want to make an extra trip, your going to pass a can on your way back to your car, that is unless your a mermaid and returning to the ocean. (In which case, contact me - I've always wondered what its like to be a mermaid.) Look, people, I'm as lazy as the next American but even I can manage to take ten steps out of my way to rid of waste that I brought onto a beautiful beach instead of letting it sit there can keep the next person company.

Along with the beautiful sunset occurring, great conversation and the idea floating in the back of my mind that I just saved a guppy from chocking on a Capri sun straw, my favorite part of the 'clean up' was the looks of passersby. I guess since we weren't donning orange jumpsuits we seemed exceedingly crazy. Staring eyes stating "What in the world are those two girls doing!? Picking up trash? Oh dear me! AND WITH SMILES ON THEIR FACES?! They must be special, or crazy OR SOMETHING!". That is except for two gentlemen. One, stopped and thanked us as he was running by, he apparently does his part by lecturing people when he sees them litter on the beach. Helpful to physical pollution sure, but not so much to verbal. The other gentlemen was that of the lifeguard. After watching with pondering eyes for a few minutes he finally yelled out that we were 'awesome' for picking up the trash and 'the world needs more people like' us. We smiled and said thank you and decided not to bring up the fact that we just gathered three large handfuls of trashed items surrounding his tower. I guess he was really busy yesterday.

All that said. The point of my story is not to gloat or 'diss' people, though I realize it may seem like it; but rather my point is just to make you aware. Be aware and pay if forward if you will. Not one of those pieces of trash belonged to me yesterday but instead of walking along side of them thinking what a shame it was that someone littered and 'someone should really clean this up' I cleaned it up, along with the help of my dear friend (whom actually goes out every Wednesday morning to do just that). And it didn't take much, just a bag and some gloves, and some love ; ). While we didn't make a huge dent my friend and I still made one. So can you. Just think, if each of us, little by little picked something up and placed it in the proper place of disposal instead of passing it by, a little dent will in no time turn into a huge one.

That's my green peace piece for the day.