Zoe saw an older woman standing ankles deep in the pacific ocean, toes dug into the sand, giving an offering to the ocean. Though I myself don’t choose to partake in any material ceremonies of giving back to the earth, I can wrap my head around the concept and have no problem with people doing what they will to feel connected with this planet of ours. This particular woman who Zoe watched was pouring milk and honey into the ocean. I don’t even have a problem with that. Those are two iconic and symbolic items of sustenance to “give back.” The problem I have with this situation is the fact that she was pouring a half-gallon of generic milk and a plastic bear of honey into the ocean...both of which she surely bought from the 7-11 down the road.
I have no qualms whatsoever with someone offering the ocean something that is near to their heart but I have to call this woman out on the irony of pouring milk into the ocean that was sucked by a robot or uninsured and underpaid illegal immigrant out of the udder of a cow kept alive with antibiotics living in the bovine equivalent of guantanamo. Then that milk was processed until it lost almost all of what makes milk “healthy” and then trucked from middle america, bottled, shelved, and sold for $2.49. Im sorry, but that is not something the ocean wants! The ocean cringes and wishes it could yell at this lady to get her gnarly feet out of its waters and to go pour that milk into a bowl of sugary cereal. Drink the milk, give it to someone hungry, do something pretty much anything than pour it in the ocean! The same applies to the honey. If you produce something yourself and chose to “give back” part of your crop to the earth, great! Go for it! Go ahead and do your thing, be yourself, but if you find yourself buying packaged food that took environmental resources to produce and dumping them into the ocean.. I think you need to check yourself….before you wreck yourself.
