A Strip of Sand

One of the common things Agom and I share is the dream of having a strip of beach to ourselves. If the beach comes with a little patch of land where we can pitch a tent or build a little hut under a shady tree that would already be a bonus.

By stroke of luck and some relatives who’ve probably heard about our dream, we got what we wished for at a price that meant forgoing a trip to Bangkok for two (go figure!). Now that little paradise lays waiting for its stewards. Yes mere stewards for I don’t think we should see ourselves as owners because we’re not. Our travels have taught us that someone more divine, more brilliant, and more powerful holds ownership to all the beauty we’ve seen. No document or title can erase that reality and neither should we be deceived by legalities that have sadly misled many a steward to believe that they have the right to destroy what was given them to nurture.

Next on our wishlist is to ensure that we can fend off any misled individual’s attempts at defacing this slice of paradise under our watch. How to discourage people from hauling the shells and corals to their homes? How to dissuade them from burning trees that serve as watershed near the beach so they can collect enough “pang-uling”? How to stop passersby from throwing water bottles and trash without getting smirks and cynical stares? How to change mindsets that there are ways of earning a living from nature other than dynamite fishing and mining? How to make all fellow stewards believe us that every little act of respect to nature means a gigantic big step toward sustained life on earth? These are big questions that require firm and strong decisions from everyone.

If only the same questions were asked when our neighbors were mulling over who to vote for in the local elections, then Agom and I and other concerned stewards would be better positioned as we search for answers and solutions as well. But then, that little strip of sand was no one’s concern at all. Every household didn’t have the time to talk about it for they were all busy counting sums of money that adds up to a trip for a family of six to Rapu-Rapu, off the coast of Albay.