Our first glimpse of the Gulf was a sign. I mean what better sign of hope and promise could you get besides a rainbow? But to me even a better sign were the birds and the sail boat which told me that people and wildlife were still enjoying the Gulf.
The second look was not as promising. You could see oil blobs or balls amongst the shells. As the tide ebbed out you can see the blobs left in the sand.
Another good sign were the volunteers working the beach. Basic clean up picking the blobs from the sand and putting them in buckets to remove. Walking on the beach has new meaning for these volunteers. And yes new meaning for any of us who have enjoyed the beaches of the Gulf and those who have earned their living from the waters and beaches of the Gulf. The original fears of gloom and doom as oil kept gushing into the waters has subsided due to the fact that it has been capped off.
I think the lessons learned should bring new promises for we the keepers of our environment. The all mighty dollar can no longer be our goal it needs to be the goal of a better world for those who follow our paths. Businesses that endanger the world, as we know it, need to have plans or a safety net. We need a plan for disposal of a new factories wastes before they are allowed to build. Before they drill a new oil well their needs to be a safety plan for the workers involved and the environment. Big business needs to be restricted and monitored. The banks proved that and now the oil companies have too.
Yes we enjoyed the Gulf and with God's help we will all for a long long time
