Thursday, July 08, 2010

Searching for paradise



There is a hole in the Gulf of Mexico which is spilling millions of gallons of oil into our Gulf water and there is a hole in my heart which is gushing its own emotional toxic mix. I'm up; I'm down. My short-term memory has been affected. My sleep patterns are disrupted following nights I work as a Wildlife Observer, but though the process seems futile at times, being involved with clean-up has somewhat helped me deal with the disaster.

Some days I deal with despair at what I see on the beach and some days I am encouraged when the water at least looks clear and colorful as a normal summer day and I discover windswept dunes which are still pristine, like the ones above.

I constantly search for reassurance that our beautiful paradise is still here by looking beyond the oiled beaches and clean-up crews which have replaced small groups of fisherman along the shore at dawn, and finding solace in places like these dunes which help heal my soul. They make me think of an old hymn whose lyrics I've slightly updated:

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin oil-sick soul

5 comments:

Sharon said...

Oh...DJ. I am exactly in the same boat as you. I am up and down.

Presently I'm slightly up. Why? I have no clue. Maybe because I heard today that they think the second well maybe done this month. Any little bit of information that is positive I grab. Unfortunately, I also grab the bad info too. Then my mind races with every worse case scenario that can be imagined.

That image is wonderful. It is something to grasp and keep hoping.

Anonymous said...

"ROLL ON, OH DEEP AND DARK BLUE OCEAN,ROLL. TEN THOUSAND FLEETS SWEEP OVER THEE IN VAIN. MAN MARKS THE SHORE WITH RUIN. HIS CONQUEST ENDS WITH THE SHORE." IT WILL BE BACK.
MORRIE

Unknown said...

Well said,DJ!!! thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for your insights and photos.

Kathy, sadly in MN

BaysideLife said...

Like you and Sharon and everyone who lives and loves the Gulf, I too have been on that emotional roller coaster. I haven't been to the beach for a while. I'm afraid of what I will see and I don't think my heart could stand to see the enormity of the hurt our home is suffering.

Maybe Monday we can start to hope again.

terri said...

I'm like you DJ up and down I love this beach so much somedays I look out and just cry and other days I try to hold on to the beauty it brings to my soul Miss you much Hope to see you soon