MY VI E W
by Lucienne

Arsenault

Guest Columnist


Ihave been trying for a few weeks to write this letter

and I guess this tells me something about life and our culture these days — wanting to fit a lot and maybe sometimes too much into a day. But what counts, I think, is that I’m sitting down to write it now.

Lately, on my almost daily runs down Dionis beach, I always see a beautiful ocean, a vast horizon, some seagulls maybe and randomly dispersed trash.

One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn’t belong. You know the old lesson many of us learned on Sesame Street?

Everyday I pick up at least something. But it never fails, even if I’ve gotten most of the trash that I can see, the next day I go and there is a fresh new batch there for the picking.

I don’t go to the beach at 4 a.m. or 11 p.m., so there are usually other people there and the reactions they have after glancing at the trash in my hands are worthy of noting and some analysis. One day, someone congratulated me — like I was winning the Miss America Pageant or something.

Trust me, the prize that I get isn’t material or titled, it’s that good feeling that we get after doing a good deed. You know the one, I hope, and if not, maybe you should give it a try.

Another reaction I’ve gotten is “I’m very proud of you!,” or “Cleaning up?”

People many times make comments like these, but it seems that no one yet has related my actions to themselves.

Of course, that is my read on their initial reactions, and maybe their long-term reactions are more contemplative and self-reflective, but these interactions started me thinking more deeply about the situation.

Why is it somewhat random to see someone picking up trash on the beach, trying to preserve the environment? Why is there a fair amount of trash there to begin with?

It seems to me that, more often than not, our culture embraces the “every person for themselves” mentality. The trash is there, but do we feel like someone else will pick it up, or that since we didn’t put it there that it isn’t our responsibility?

Or, do we feel that it is too much of a hassle or other people might see us touching yucky garbage and we’d be too embarrassed?

Of course, sometimes it’s the negligent tourist outlook: “I’m on vacation so I think I deserve a break from the not-so-wonderful realities of life.”

In my opinion, these are all pretty lame excuses. But, don’t think for a moment that I am trying to place myself in the “perfect person” role, either.

I definitely attended beach parties when I was younger that were probably the source of a large amount of pollution. I don’t always pick up every piece of trash that I see. But making the effort is important to me.

I think that all humans have a responsibility to earth and all things on it, and to consider the consequences of not taking five minutes our of their beach experience to gather their own trash and maybe some remnants not left by them.

Recently, I was informed about The Clean Team on Nantucket, and I took part in it this past Saturday.

It is wonderful that Bill Connell and others have organized a cleanup for every Saturday morning and I encourage everyone to attend.

If you don’t want to get up at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, why not decide what works with your schedule and either go on your own or ask some friends to join you in your efforts.

Think of how much good you could do by disposing of some trash during a fun visit to the beach — there are usually trash cans in the parking lots of all of the beaches.

It was disheartening for me to take a run on July 5 and see all of the trash left over from the Fourth. The Fourth of July is about independence, and I think it’s important to ask ourselves what we’re doing with that independence? What are you doing with yours?

Lucienne Arsenault is a native Nantucketer who graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in December 2004. She majored in Women’s Studies and has a passion for motivating others in support of moral causes. This winter she plans to do some traveling in France in order to further strengthen her knowledge of the French language and culture.

I