Respect for Japan's Debris

Tsunami debris from Japan is and will be washing ashore on the US West Coast.  Scientists can even track the plume across the vast Pacific even. 

Of course let's not forget the tragedy of it all.  A shoe, a toothbrush, a favorite doll -- these are the flotsam of lives shattered by the tsunami.  And much of it sank into the cold, dark blue.

Everyone can fathom how an emotion, a memory, is attached to an object, even or especially the mundane.  We are connected that way.  Let's respect that with Japan's sad debris.

There is good that we can get out of it, too.  An important teaching moment.  The debris from Japan washing ashore from thousands of miles away shows another kind of connection.

The ocean is finite despite it's raw power and enduring beauty.  An impact or an insult on one part of the ocean can easily reverberate elsewhere, even places out of sight and out of mind.

We are connected to the oceans.  Healthy oceans mean healthy people.  Let's show a little respect in this regard, too.