Monday, January 08, 2018

Saying the wrong thing

Walking on the beach I meet a man who lives across the bay. He's come around to take his wife to hospital.
'She's there for an hour and a half each day for radiotherapy,' he says, 'so I walk the dog on the beach.'
'Oh, that's ideal,' I say.
(Pause as what I've said sinks in.)
'No, wait, I didn't mean it's ideal that she's having radiotherapy ...'

plastic on the beachAnyway before that we'd been discussing plastic. Remembering the FaceBook post that is doing the rounds - pick up three pieces of plastic each time you visit the beach - I was duly collecting it. Although it's impossible to stop at three when you start noticing it. Thank goodness for poo bags - even though they're plastic.

The gentleman said they had much more on the beach across the bay but they didn't have such large shells or seaweed. I expect it's all to do with tides, currents and winds. I should know really being an oceanographer ...

Perhaps unsurprisingly after such a cold day yesterday there was a large patch of broken-up ice on the beach. It has to be very cold for the sea to freeze.


4 comments:

Rose said...

That's just the sort of comment I probably would have made to the gentleman. I think I spend half my time with my foot in my mouth:)

Sharon said...

I embarrass myself (and others) on a regular basis. The older I get, the worse I am.

Jimmy said...

Oh yes I can relate to that, you throw out a well meaning remark and realize that it sounds just the opposite, usually just as the words are leaving your mouth...

If people would only pick up after themselves and properly dispose of their trash would go a long way in keeping our planet clean, picking up three items each time you go out is a great idea.

Liz Hinds said...

It makes us very sure-footed though, Rose, all this balancing!

Me too, Sharon.

Our planet is in a bit of a mess thanks to us humans so it's good if we can do a bit to restore it, Jimmy.