Littered with fond memories
I often think just how lucky I have been that my father, once a big time copy writer for an ad agency on Madison Avenue, made the mind-boggling decision in 1961 to gather up his five young kids and move to a little-known island off the South Carolina coast. Of course, that island was Hilton Head. The swing bridge had just been installed, most of the roads were barely two-lane with the majority being dirt roads. As for traffic, it was a madhouse. Talk about keeping your head on a swivel it wasn’t cars that would get you but rather deer, wild pigs, turkeys and such.
From the moment we made it over the bridge I can still remember that, even at six years old, this had to be paradise. Maybe it was the palmettos and massive live oaks that had so much Spanish moss on them that, for a tike like myself, I was getting my first glimpse of heaven. Pristine doesn’t even come close to describing the beauty that surrounded me no matter which direction I looked.
Arriving at our newly constructed home beachside in Sea Pines Plantation (yes, it was called a plantation back then), I can still remember walking down a narrow walkway to the beach, and there in front of me was the sparkling, grandiose Atlantic Ocean and miles of a pearl white beach without a soul in sight. My young mind became convinced that I was now living a part of my very own chapter of Swiss Family Robinson, a book that I cherished at that time in my life - and still do to this very day.
Re-reading what I have written thus far “first impressions” seems to best describe this column’s theme. First impressions can make or break so many aspects of your life. For instance, it can make the difference in whether you decide to try a new restaurant when you walk through its doors, It plays a huge part when you decide whether or not to hire a person, or for that matter, meeting someone for the first time. With that said, this is where curiosity has gotten the best of me, wondering what your very first impression was when you first arrived here in the Lowcountry - be in Bluffton or on Hilton Head. Was it anything like what I felt decades ago?
I would love to hear your reply to that question, but since that is impossible, let me ask you if there is anything you saw that might have soiled that first impression? If you think I am setting you up for something then regrettably I am. Having been blessed to watch this area blossom to the degree it has since my early homecoming one change in particular is tainting my love for this remarkable section of the country. Litter!
Every single day it gets worse. Is cultural change to blame? Maybe to a degree, but my opinion leans more toward a profound disrespect for the God-given beauty that brought 99.9% of you to decide to make this place your home. Blame it on uncovered construction vehicles, late-night beer drinkers but face it, we have become one of the world’s leading throw away cultures. Just think how much litter comes from a simple Happy Meal or most any other fast food joint. Our roadways are an embarrassment and instead of taking two seconds to pick up a piece of litter, it sits there until a lawn mower chops it up hundreds of new pieces of litter.
Where has our pride gone? Sadly, it is just about as bad out on the water. I tied three empty water bottles together and set them adrift next to a boat landing and 26 boats passed within an arm’s reach of them before one guy in a kayak picked them up. The picture above of bags of litter came from wife Karen. All that was picked up in less than three hundred yards. Amazingly, she gets just as much each and every week or so along that very same stretch of highway. I am wracking my brain to organize a massive anti-litter campaign so until I have the plan consider joining the “Adopt a Highway” program. To adopt contact Jesus Rodriguez. His number is (843) 255-2817 and his e-mail address is jesus.rodriguez@bcgov.net.
Collins Doughtie is a 60-year resident of the Lowcountry, is a sportsman, graphic artist, and lover of nature. collinsdoughtie@icloud.com
