15 Minute Writer

“Save the whales! The whales are in trouble!”

I strolled along the beach in Oak Island, N.C. on my vacation and spotted a large circle with writing in the sand plus a large drawing of a whale. The sand message intrigued me so I stopped to read what she wrote about the whales.

A young girl (11 years old) came up beside me. I introduced myself and found out her name is Callie. I asked Callie about her writing and drawing. She explained the plight of the whales.

I got down a little closer to the sand to read what she wrote, “How interesting. What kind of response are you getting?”

“You’re the only one who has stopped or noticed.” She said her voice tinged with sadness. 

“Well, you wrote something and reached one person and if you reach one, who knows how many others may be affected. I’m going to write a blog post about this and so anyone who reads it will be educated. What would you like people to know about the whales?”

“That they’re intelligent. People think they’re stupid, but they re not. Whales know about natural disasters before they happen. The navy sonars are exceptionally strong and they mess up the whales mind. The sonar confuses them. When they get confused, they beach. The Navy people are not aware of it or they don’t think about the whales. People are the problem because they throw things in the ocean because they’re lazy or they do it accidentally, like balloons or plastic.

Maybe it doesn’t hurt the whales because they’re big enough, but it hurts other sea animals like the dolphins. If humans aren’t careful, some of the species of whales could become extinct and mess up the eco system.

The whales need help from us humans. Eight of the ten species migrate to this beach. Do you know what an Atoll is? I know more than most adults. I don’t like to brag but I’ve read more.”

I listened to her intently tell me all about the whales and then exhorted her.

“I encourage you to read and educate yourself all about the whales. Then learn how to write. Write about your passion for the whales. Be polite and considerate of those who don’t agree. Many will probably ignore you, but you never know, someone important might take notice. The world needs your voice to tell us about the whales.”

Now, her message reaches you and who knows how many others. We need to encourage others, regardless of how young or old. to find their message, write and express their voice. Who knows the difference this young girl will make for the whales and our world?