| Something that irks me and most others when enjoying the great Florida outdoors is distracting behavior. Just as no one likes to sit in a movie theater and put up with incessant chatter or cell phone melodies going off, unwanted noises really interfere with the experience of being with nature.
Case in point: This weekend I moseyed down a trail on Honeymoon Island State Park in Pinellas County. One of the paths winds through sand dunes, sea oats and along a remote portion of the island where few people usually go. It’s away from residences, cars, the airport and other evidence of our busy world, save the sight of sailboats in the distance.
My solitude dissolved as I heard several people in a group walking toward me on the same path. Giggling, whooping and carrying on like party animals, we met as we crossed by each other.
“Hey, can you folks be kind enough to tone it down?” I asked tactfully, a smile plastered on my face that was only bending the lips.
Startled, they glanced at each other, murmured an apology and even acknowledged that their loudness probably scared any nearby creatures into the next county. Okay, well enough, and indeed they moved on without making another peep.
Much appreciative of this cooperation, I continued on my walk. On the return jaunt along the same path, I stopped when the outline of a bird nesting on the sand came into view. Just as I quietly and slowly pulled out my trusty camera, the unmistakable notes of a call being received on a cell phone blurted out.
No bird, no picture, and me now listening to a conversation to seemingly no one as a man passed me with a cellular device stuck behind his ear. Should it not be more properly called a Blue-ear instead of a Bluetooth, I wondered?
Annoyed, I said nothing to this fellow, but I immediately resolved to blog about the dire need for courtesy to thy fellow visitors – and local animals – when visiting a remote area that others may be trying to appreciate.
Let’s put our cell phones on the silent mode and not answer a call unless deemed an emergency. Let’s keep talk to a minimum and whenever possible remain reasonably quiet while our eyes and ears take in the beauty and tranquility of Mother Nature. And, let’s spread the word to others innocently oblivious about such courtesies – most will find it a welcome message and adjust their behavior accordingly. |
