Combing the Coast - French Beach

SURF RIDER- COMBING THE COAST French Beach 2015 from Jen Steele on Vimeo.

This beach clean up was in March and Jen got the video out shortly afterwards.

Jen spent a lot of time interviewing a whack of people. She asked permission to follow us around for a bit and after a while I kind of forgot that she was filming.

At the monthly meeting in April a few people came up to me and said that I was a pretty good spokesperson, but I had no idea that the video had come out nor that Rod and I appeared in so much footage. I have to admit that it felt pretty cool to have a record of myself in this wonderful place doing something that I'm passionate about with others who respect and are grateful for this "super beautiful" place that we have the privilege to inhabit.

Anyway, I thought you might like to see this beautiful place that I call home and the amazing people who are making a difference here on Vancouver Island. Jen did such a beautiful job filming and editing the piece; inspiring. It really just makes you want to go out and clean up a beach doesn't it?

The next big event is INTERNATIONAL SURFING DAY June 20th Paddle Out for Clean Water at Cadboro Bay Beach 10 - 4 p.m. I've got my SUP board reserved - woo hoo! Info on the event HERE
Hopefully there'll be another video to share with you all. Lots of events going on through the day - should be a lot of fun.

I'm so grateful to have gotten a second chance to do all the things that I never got a chance to do the first time around. I dreamed of being a surfer girl when I was a teenager living in southern Ontario. Well, the reality is that my surfing consists, for the most part, of falling off the board into the surf. But, I discovered SUPing (stand up paddle boarding) and the dream lives…a board, the water and a paddle; works for me! Just call me Gidget.

#TrashBucketChallenge

NOTE correction: Bahar Yaghoubi and J.r. Missoula started the challenge in Oahu on Aug 19th (a mere 17 days ago) and it is going viral! WOO HOO!

On March 2013 I sent this out on Face Book
FACE BOOK CHALLENGE - Clutter clear a park, a sidewalk and post it on FB. Let's see if we can get a movement happening.

…Ya, I know, not too inspiring. My sister-in-law, Diane responded.

BUT NOW over a year later, people are getting enthusiastic about keeping our parks, beaches and public spaces litter free and Face Book is providing the perfect forum for coming together, spreading the word, and sharing our passion with creativity and fun.

I have found my people…or rather they have found me.

I can't tell you how excited I was to see the Trash Bucket Challenge show up on FB. Bahar Yaghoubi and J.r. Missoula in Oahu on Aug 19th, inspired by the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, set up this one.

Basically:
- Get a bucket
- Go to a location
- Fill the bucket full with the garbage that you collect there
- With the hashtag TrashBucketChallenge post your video or pictures online of your bucket, location and appropriate disposal of garbage.
- In your video or text challenge others to do the same - 3 seems to be a popular number
- Timelines to fulfill the challenge range from 24 hrs to a week to open ended.

Here's what Bahar Yaghoubi wrote on Aug 19…
"We had the good fortune to spend a beautiful weekend camping on the North Shore, and walk along some of the most pristine beaches. However, on our walks we came across the not so pretty sights of humanity: trash, trash, and more trash (not to mention plenty of dead fish that probably ate some of the trash). On our walk we FOUND a 5-gallon bucket on the beach and in less than 30 minutes filled it up to the brim. We challenge you to do the same, post a pic or video of yourself with a bucket (or bag) full of trash you picked up from either a beach, a park, neighborhood, or anywhere that can use a cleaning and properly dispose of it. Don't forget to tag it: #trashbucketchallenge. Tell your family, tell students, tell your neighbors, let's do this together, and let's make a difference... It's Earth Day, everyday. I challenge YOU! #trashbucketchallenge

He posted a video to go along with it but I couldn't get it to appear so you'll have to go to the FB site TrashBucketChallenge. Check out the video that started it all (you have to go to the beginning of the site) and the rest. It's so amazing to see this happening as a world-wide movement!

I was thrilled to join the challenge with others who feel passionate about our environment.

I've always wanted to be able to put together something "film-like" so I looked on this as a FUN project to put together. Well, I can tell ya, it really challenged my limited tekkie skills but with A LOT (and I mean tons) of trial and error, and dogged determination here it is.

…the challenge now will be to remember just how I did this whole thing.

Have a great day NOT SHOPPING!

Further in this post you will find a video titled STORY OF STUFF; HOW THINGS WORK, ABOUT STUFF by Anne Leonard. Though the video's over 20 minutes long, it's well worth taking the time to listen to what she has to say about our consumer culture and its effects on humanity, the earth, sea and sky. Plus, I really like the simple style of animation that she uses to get her point across — very effective.

STUFF BECOMES CRAP.

Now, I've got my share of "stuff", that's to be sure, after all, as human beings we are all virtual waste producing machines and I'm not just talking about the stuff that exits our orifices. There's also the "crap" that we buy into which propels us to buy crap, tire of it, tuck it away or throw it out so that we can buy more crap and on and on.

WHY ARE WE SO DRIVEN TO GET STUFF? CUS, IT FEELS SO GOOD... FOR A WHILE AT LEAST.

I find it amazing how a prized item that has given me such pleasure in: hunting it down; purchasing it (there's the real pay off — that big rush of satisfaction and accomplishment that is anticipated from the moment the flame of desire is a mere spark of inspiration); the using, wearing or eating of it, eventually becomes "stuff" to be stored or "crap" to be gotten rid of. More often than not, the very moment we attain our object of desire, is the beginning of its decline in favour.

MARKETING, ADVERTISING AND THE POWER OF SUBTLE (OR NOT SO SUBTLE) SUGGESTIONS THAT WE'RE BOMBARDED WITH 24/7 - FUELS OUR DESIRE FOR STUFF. SEE LEONARD'S "YOU SUCK" CYCLE OF CONSUMER DESIRE.

These three examples stand out for me:

The notion that you can "save money" by spending money sends the message that saving money is good; the reality is that this isn't the way to do it. Reality check — once it's spent it's gone, I don't care how good a deal you got, besides what are you going to do with the money you "saved" but, buy more "stuff".

After declining to sign up for a department store's BONUS POINTS CARD (explaining that I'm a hit and run, not a browsing, type of shopper) the cherry toddle-oo the cashier gave me was, "Have a great day shopping". Have a great DAY shopping? Is she nuts? Was she listening at all? You want me to have a great day? I just got my "stuff" now get me outta here. Time spent browsing is too much time spent in "you suck" territory; too much time spent in temptation's lair. Hey, I'm not immune.

And, one of my faves is this motto "Be seen. Be seen shopping," the Oakville equivalent of counting coup found emblazoned on promotional banners throughout the town a few Christmases ago.

If I sound a little judgmental, a little self-satisfied it's because, except for a few exceptions (knitting, sporting supply stores, One of a Kind Craft Show, a really great grocery store), I really don't like to shop. For the most part, shopping makes me anxious. Some people are "stuff" people and some are "experience" people. I'm the latter. Let me: travel and explore the outdoors and new places, indulge in the fare of a great restaurant, sit in a cafe (preferably in Paris) and watch the world go by, take time to write, read and play and I'm happy. But Leonard's video reminds me that everything I do taxes the earth and our resources. My purchases, well thought out as they may be; the requirements of the activities I enjoy, all take their toll.

I'm not sure what to do with all this. I just know that awareness is the spark to inspiration and maybe if enough people become inspired, creative ways in being in the world (while minimizing the damage we cause, or even giving back to it) may be discovered and what a wonderful world that would be!