In Fort Bragg, California, I visited a beach covered in polished glass pieces. Instead of sand: glass. It's soft, rounded, alive and colorful.
For decades the residence of Fort Bragg disposed of garbage into the sea at the northern part of town. You can see how they drove their cars to the edge of the sea cliff and pushed. The ocean is the world's garbage dump, even if it is incomprehensibly big.
In 1968 this antiquated trash disposal ended. In the meantime, all of the glass from their cars, windows, mayonnaise jars and, what seems to be for the most part, beer bottles, has been washed into beauty (people also picked up much of the rubbish).
In a time when we can't breathe without being bombarded with sarcasm disgusted as hope, and fear masquerading as reform, this beautiful sea scape bolstered my spirits. Yes, people are messing up the world, yet it carries on, despite us. Our environment is not beyond repair and repentance. Check the stats on the Bald Eagle since the 1980's. There is hope without an agenda and reform without fear.
This small space of water, land and glass reminded me of that bigger hope. There is so much more mystery here that we can not comprehend.
Things that are toxic and dangerous can be diluted and cleaned: even made beautiful. Though people are responsible for the problems, we are creative enough to be a part of the answer, the rest is a mystery.
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