Gulf Of Mexico

I have been avoiding the subject of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  It is painful for me to think about the destruction of something so close to my heart, much less write about it here for everyone to see.  Maybe I have been waiting for it to hit my beloved Texas coast and until it did I wouldn't have to admit how horrible the damage really is.  I've been thinking though that it isn't a matter of IF it happens but when. The oil has now begun washing up on the Mississippi and the Louisiana coastlines.  Dolphins are washing up on the Mississippi shoreline and wildlife and aquatic life will be  affected for years to come.  That beautiful coastline will be a virtual dead zone for many years to come.  The Valdez Spill twenty years later is still felt in Alaska.

The long term effects of this spill are yet to be realized.  Already people are losing their abilities to make a living.  There will be a backlash of economic devastation to areas already hit hard in this part of the country.

The shrimpers and fishermen are already feeling the effects of this disaster.  What will become of them when they can no longer sail the coastlines to make their living?  Many of these folks have lived on the water for generations. Made their living from the sea. It is a daily struggle for many of them to eek out a living even during good times.  The hours are long and the work is hard.  How will they survive all this?  I don't have any answers... only an underlying feeling of despair for what is about to befall these good hardworking people.

And what about all those who depend on tourists to make a living.  I'm not just talking about the hotels and restaurants and charter boasts and businesses that depend on tourism to survive. What about the little guys?  The bait shop owners and the boat rental places?  The mom and pop stores that cater to those who come for a little fun in the sun?  Those little motels and RV parks,the bars, the fresh fish markets, most of which are family owned and operated? And then there are the good folks who make a living working for those businesses.  The waitresses, cooks, dishwashers, oyster shuckers, and even bartenders?  The maids and motel clerks?  You see, there is a far reaching effect that alot of people don't even consider.  If there are no tourists there are no jobs for thousands who have catered to the industry for years. How will they be able to stay afloat when there is no "floating" to be done?  

I spent the first half of my life on the Gulf coast. I spent countless hours on the beaches and in and around those waters as a child and a young adult.  I've lived all up and down the coastline of Texas and even spent some time in Louisiana. Now I wonder if I will ever be able to wade fish for flounder and redfish again. Or toss a cast net for bait?  Or eat oysters fresh off the reefs armed with a good knife and a bottle of  Tabasco.


Of course most of this has not yet come to pass.  Unfortunately, I believe that it is only a matter of time.  Fishing and Shrimping have already been affected and I feel it is only the beginning. There is no way that that much oil spewing out into the Gulf will not have adverse reactions on the people and the creatures of the sea. 


(image from Google Images)