Thursday, June 3, 2010

Title-less


I'm making a definite effort to keep my online life from "being all oil spill, all the time."

This is more difficult than one would imagine. I'm just so appalled by the oil. I know that by the end of the summer, when BP finally gets their relief well drilled, and the oil is finally (hopefully) done surging freely to the surface (or floating away in plumes under the surface) that the
rest of the world will be burned out on coastal crisis. I know that the short attention span of the general public both national and international will be turned to other things. I know that some camps are tired of hearing about oil even as I type. I know that there will be other disasters and and it is natural for the world to move on.

Yet, when I think about the oil, all I can see are the least terns diving and fishing off Ocean Springs East Beach. I see how free and lovely they looked last Friday as Fin and I kayaked.

I think about Louisiana Congressman Charles Melancon emotional in front of his peers as he said, "Everything I know and love is at risk".

I think about my frustration with our government at both state and federal levels. A government busily singing a refrain similar to that of Little Orphan Annie, "The sun will come out tomorrow" and glossing over and sitting on real information about the oil spill, from the amount of oil actually polluting the Gulf to the real number of animals already impacted by the spill.

When I think about the oil, I have a very difficult time not allowing it to dominate my online life.

Tonight, I sat down to write a non-oil entry. Yet, the non-oil words don't come. When I contemplate how so much in my adopted home, so much of what I "know and love is at risk" the words about oil can't help but dominate.

16 comments:

  1. You keep on saying it. It needs to be said repeatedly, least the evilness of it be forgotten. Having grown up in Florida and now living on the Plains, I understand that the hinterland has no idea of what happened. But it will affect even them.

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  2. Well said Bethany- I watched Anderson Cooper 360 this morning and I cried when they showed the birds covered in oil. I finally had to turn off the show, because even typing this, the tears flow. People have no idea..

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  3. We can not have a short attention span with this because unfortunately it is going to have lasting effects. It will touch everyone in some form or fashion. And it is just beginning really - I am so sorry. My mother and sister live in Pensacola. I know the area well and it is just heartbreaking. Don't stop writing about it Bethany. The rest of the country needs to hear from everyday people like you - short attention span or not.

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  4. jadedj, Wiz, O, thank you all for the support and comments. Went down to the beach on lunch today. I can't seem to keep away.

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  5. It's hard not to write about it. We spent the week in Galveston and on my FB page, several people asked me about oil there (where we were). Obviously it's not that far up, but everything is about the oil. It's terrible. I have vowed not to write one thing about it. Doesn't mean I am avoiding it. It is going to be a part of our lives for a very long time.

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  6. I feel for you, Bethany - and can understand how impossible it is to be silent about this. I won't tire of your oil-laden posts. However, I am tired of hearing that BP officials "hope" their latest effort to stop / clean the oil will work. It all sounds empty and lame . . .

    My hope is that, at the very least, this incident will ensure that measures are taken so that nothing like this can ever happen again.

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  7. ...by the way, PaintTheHorse is http://wildstorm.wordpress.com.

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  8. Bethany, it was the thought of the threat facing the beautiful habitat which surrounds you - which you have so faithfully photographed and conveyed your enjoyment of in this blog - which made me go "Oh my God, NO" when the polluted aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster became apparent some weeks ago. As someone in the UK, I want to apologise for the callousness and cavalier attitude of BP. I am appalled by the way they've been acting and am utterly ashamed of them.

    Keep blogging, keep photographing ... it goes a long way. Jo XX

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  9. What a wonderful series of comments, the last oned in particular. Seems there is plenty of blame to go around on this one, from the three companies involved to several different levels of government. It is just another horrid example of the DYSFUNCTIONALITY of big business and most governments.

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  10. Sorry re typo---new keyboard......

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  11. Bethany ~ I just came back to blogger and was at Fin's blog~ I'm very sorry to read of your Grandma's passing on. Hugs, and may God heal your family. ~Sunny

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  12. Also, yes this disaster is so nasty it will go on for decades. I'm about to write an article , later on. Great post , as are all your posts.

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  13. hi Bethany!
    I can only ditto all the above comments. A friend of my daughter's wants to help with the cleanup and Regina asked if I knew someone from that area. I immediately thought of you! I sent you an email, the one from my forum. If you didn't get it, please notify me (fin has my email).

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  14. Hi Bethany,
    It's so good to find you here outside JS.

    I was so sorry to hear about your grandmom

    This oil disaster breaks my heart. I agree with the others -we need to keep hearing about it.

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  15. Goodness, the comments collected while I was on my unintended blogging break.

    Intelli, all those claims have proven themselves a pretty empty.

    Summerwind, I knew who you were. :) It will be part of our lives for a long time and it affects people I know in ways that surprise me all the time.

    Tea, thanks for your kind comments. I'm glad that my photos have helped you see some of the beauty of my part of the world.

    Fin, I agree. Nice feedback here in the comment section. Thank you all.

    Sunny, glad you stopped by. Fin and I have been wondering to each other how you are. Thank you for the condolences.

    Dorrie, thanks for stopping by. Did Regina tell you I answered her on Facebook? Also, the yahoo address is still a good one for me, I just haven't been very active online the last couple of weeks.

    Inneedofgrace, glad you stopped by and glad you found me here. I think we all miss JS, sigh. Thank you for the condolences and the oil is heartbreaking.

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  16. Sadly, this is something that will impact everyone before it is all over. It is not just one small regions way of life or a matter of a little cleanup. The comments to your blog have been wonderful though!

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Please play nicely.