Nature lovers need to take more care in cleaning up

STEVE MARTINI
Martini Time

There appears to be a plethora of 2-year-old children who are smarter than many adults today. My toddling niece, of 2 and 1/2, knows to pick up after herself when she finishes playing with toys. The alcohol-consuming litterbugs I saw evidence of this past weekend obviously do not.

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to participate in the "Sardis Lake Clean Up Day" with many of my peers in the leisure management department and many other volunteers from around north Mississippi. We spent one Saturday morning either strolling the shoreline or trolling into hidden coves to excavate dozens of bags of trash from this beloved recreation area.

I would love to say most of the litter was composed of items commonly associated with water recreation such as fishing tackle or an empty bottle of suntan lotion. However, if I did, I would be no better at telling the truth than Mr. Tuberville.

My group of a dozen volunteers pulled at least five bags of trash from only one stop, and bottles stacked in a mound so large it gleamed in the sunlight like the Tin Man in a tanning bed. The entire time I watched pile after pile of filth get hand-shoveled into plastic bags, I wondered why these insignificantly small containers were left behind to ornament the coasts of Sardis Lake.

Seriously folks, are aluminum cans so cumbersome that they cannot leave the party with you in your car or in garbage sacks? One can or bottle definitely weighs more with liquid in it than it does once the contents have been consumed. Obviously, then, there is no doubt that the strength and effort it requires to pick up the empty container and place it in the proper receptacle is considerably less than what was required to pack it into the party spot in the first place.

Only two options remain as to why these cans and bottles were abandoned to become part of the permanent biosphere of the lakefront. Either the owners were too drunk to properly dispose of their waste items, or they were too lazy to avoid their own ignorance.

One of my peers stated that he loved hearing the sound of beer bottles smash within trash cans at the bars around Oxford while he's out on a Friday night. Now, I know there are inebriated individuals at the bars nearly every night. Miraculously, they seem to identify and effectively utilize the garbage cans located throughout these establishments. I guess that kind of negates the "I was too drunk to throw away my junk" argument, wouldn't you say?

So, it would appear people are just too lazy to care about the places they go to have fun. Sardis Lake is an absolutely beautiful and pristine recreation area enjoyed by many individuals from rug rats to social security beneficiaries. There is no need to clutter it up with our cans and bottles from a late night shindig to boast of our own indolence, self-righteousness and stupidity. As the old saying goes, "Your mama doesn't work here," so clean up after yourself.

Do not misunderstand me. I had a wonderful time out at the lake before heading to the Grove. I rode on a pontoon boat for the first time in my life and rummaged through piles of litter while shooting the bull with my classmate, Josh. I chewed a few hot dogs and a fantastic hamburger provided by volunteer cooks at the site. Another classmate, Holly, even geared me up for the evening's festivities at the face-painting table by covering me forehead to chin in spirited red and blue, which I believe frightened more children than it did inspire loyal Rebel fans.

However, I would have enjoyed the day just as much had we been there to celebrate the cleanliness and resourcefulness of such a fantastic recreation area and psyche up for a ball game as opposed to picking up after my slothful fellow man.

I'm not asking anyone to buy a rain forest or hug a tree, just please refrain from tossing your empty beer can into one.