A DAY AT THE BEACH.

Why is it so hard to just enjoy the beach without concern about others?  When enjoying time with the family it tends to turn into ULTRA PARENT!  Must watch all and see all!  Sometimes I want to ignore everyone and say go drown and remove yourselves from the gene pool as a favour to my happiness.  One mother today at the beach, shepherding some 5 kids loses one and all the beach starts to scour.  One woman who I discover later is sitting by my family informs me while in the water that a girl is missing, 7 years old wearing a tiger print bathing suit.  I was headed in to trade places with my wife so she could cool off with the kids.  I get up on the beach and my wife informs me also of the missing child but that she was just found and the family is only 15 feet from us.  So I relaxed (as ULTRA PARENT had kicked in) in the knowledge that another child was safe and reunited with their parents and not at the bottom of Georgian Bay.  Moments later I recognize the woman that told me about the missing child and informed her that she was found.  She seemed to notice and returned to her family.  Seconds later she lights up a cigarette surrounded by HER kids.  The looking back she see's the mother of the formerly absent 7 year old and I hear her yell "Get off your phone and pay attention to your kids!".  I look back and sure enough the woman who was in an abject panic moments before was placidly on her phone with her back to her kids.  Well maybe we should just let nature take it's course.  NOW as to the woman with the carcinogenic candy stick also 15 feet from me started to grate on my nerves.  Here she was seemingly concerned for the health and safety of another woman's child but all the while puffing her 180 chemicals into her own kids faces.  Never mind that smoking is banned in parks and public beaches.  !@#$%^ that right?  "Rules are for everyone else but me."

I let this go by laying back into my sun shelter and just breathing... then plunk. WTF was that?  I felt it hit my hat and it was resting on my stomach.  I look up and see fresh seagull poop on my brand new shelter!  The over splash as I will call it, landed on my hat. REALLY!?   Shook another one off.

So after 4 hours of fun with the kids I'm heading off the beach and down the strip trots this young woman and her little puppy.  Now I've had dogs all my life and never let it off the leash in public.  I didn't want them put down for well, being a dog.  1, no leash. 2, on the BEACH! Two feet from her reads a sign that says clearly WITH PICS for the uneducated, NO DOGS ON BEACH.

What is WRONG with people?  Why do people feel they are better than others?  When arriving at a bar or movie or even a club and you find a line outside most people line up and wait.  But there are those who feel they are above waiting in line and try to get in ahead of the rest.  I've even heard some say "I don't wait in lines!" or "I don't like to wait in lines."  Well good for you Gungadin, back of the line or go to a less popular place to get your funk on.  These are the people who unleash their dogs in public, smoke in cars with kids and generally stick their nose in the air to make sure only the best quality air enters their lungs.
While their noses are up may they trip over homeless person and fall into traffic.

Yours in Clay & Water