My family went on a cruise from Mobile, Alabama, to celebrate our mom’s 70th birthday. The route began at the Port of Mobile and went the entire length of Mobile Bay as we began our journey to Mexico. Long before we neared the mouth of the bay that opens into the Gulf of Mexico, gas rigs started to loom on the horizon. I began counting and after I got to 50, I stopped. I was nauseated and it wasn’t from the cruise ship’s movement.

When I was a child I imagined the blue-green waters continuing throughout my life. I never imagined a gulf and bay full of gas and oil rigs. Now….they are everywhere….and with the weeks-ago oil flow that continues to gush oil and gas into the Gulf, the quality of the waters, the wildlife and the lives of all Gulf Coast residents decline. This environmental catastrophe has the potential to destroy a way of life as it now destroys marshes, pelicans, sea turtles, dolphins, and thousands of fish and organisms so tiny and fragile we never realize their significance, their importance, until they are gone.

Perhaps this is a huge wake-up call to re-think our priorities.

Today I watched children play along the beach. It brought back memories of when I used to romp in the surf and play in the sand. My love for the ocean was cultivated by my frequent visits to the Gulf and my passion for it has only grown over the years.

As I watched the kids playing on the beach I wondered….What is the legacy we are leaving our children?

Comments from the beach

Today I wanted to share an audio blog. Please click on the Comments phrase above the photo to listen.

Thanks for your continued support of the Gulf Coast.