As the Oil Spill Situation in the Gulf Worsens, A Reflection...

The oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico is devastating to see. I know that everyone, regardless of political affiliations, their view on sources of power, or their overall view of the concept of global warming, are saddened by what is happening.

BP says they will be there until it is fixed. I guess that means they will be there until the end of time, because this cannot be fixed. I recently saw a piece on the news where someone was visiting the site of the Exxon Valdeze spill that occured approximately twenty years ago. On the surface the view was pristine, with beautiful waters, sky and wildlife. But as they dug into the soil, only an inch down there was a film of oil everywhere.

The pictures of struggling wildlife, and the hopeless faces of those living on the coast brings me to tears. This spill is not only destroying nature and wild life, it is destroying literal ways of life that have been practiced on the Gulf Coast for generations. For some, fishing and living off the land is all they know. They are at a complete loss as to what to do. The jobs that tourism has provided will all but disappear.

I live on the gulf coast, about an hour south of Tampa, a little inland from Sarasota beaches. On a good day, I am at the beach in half an hour. I usually visit Siesta Key, which is rated as one of the whitest sand beaches in the world. I've always gone here, when I lived here first 24 years ago and I go there now. My husband asked me to marry him on this beach because he knew it was my favorite.

I will be completely honest, Florida is not my favorite place to live. It is just too insufferably hot in the summer, and the overall age gap of those who can afford to live here can make me feel old before my time. It is rare that I see children or people of other parts of the world. I am a girl from the Northeast and I am proud of that....yes, I am a Yankee. I miss the diversity that my home can have.

But I have come to appreciate the beauty and sultry differences of where I live. A state park is ten miles from my home and by walking here I have learned that southwest Florida does have changes in the season, they are just more subtle and you have to look a little harder. The wildlife here is amazing, the flora and fauna of where I lived has inspired my art as soon as I had the courage to embrace it.

The thought that there may soon be tar balls rolling onto the beach of Siesta Key is a dark and daunting reality. The business my husband and I have depends on the health of the waters around us. My art has become to depend on the beauty of the place I live. The welfare of many, many people depends on the nature of the coast, and that is quickly becoming a thing of the past, most likely for as long as you or I can imagine and beyond.

I really just wanted to take a moment and this opportunity to say how sad and yes, scared, I am about what is happening along this coast. I realize that one never truly appreciates others circumstances until they are actually living their experience. Selfishly I hope and pray I will not know the overwhelming despair that others along the coast of Louisiana are now going through. I also hope and pray that they will find some peace and much help as they rebuild their lives.

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my thoughts with you. I would love to hear your thoughts on what's happening....if you can, leave a comment.

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