lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA
trash collected for 20 min.
4.7 pounds
1,175.2 pounds total
7 cigarette butts
The first item I picked up from the sand was a fragment of Styrofoam.
The second was a single-use plastic water bottle.
The seabird footprints next to this discarded plastic lighter remind me of the time I watched a gull swallow a Bic lighter in front of me. The rectangular lump easing down its throat in two big gulps.
Last night as I watched the sunset, I couldn't wait to get in the water this morning. It's now approaching mid-day as I type. I've been in the water today, and although I had fun, the waves were too mushy to catch. But what sticks out about my time in the ocean this morning is the rip current that churned up lots of small bits of trash seemingly out of nowhere.
My friend Karen got out.
And as we were drying off in the parking lot, Kit remarked how much crap there had been around us.
"My fear is that if we aren't careful, that will be the norm in twenty years," I said.
As I heard myself, I thought that's a little much, but is it?
"Go get 'em," Kit said as I left. I smiled, but sharing this one small moment on here might be the most important thing I do all day.
