"Granddad, why have you a tear in your eye?"  

"We are pests, child," I replied with a sniffle. 

"What do you mean?" My sweet innocent granddaughter asked. She is far to young to know what our race has done. She is not to blame, I tell myself. My generation and all before are to blame. 

"Well, little wan, let me tell you a story about that there great vast ocean."

"I love the ocean!" Little Denise blurted out. "Mummy said you were at sea all your life. She said you never really married aunt Liz. Mummy said you were married to the sea." 

I guffawed at such innocence. In a delightful way she was ignorant.  "That is true, little wan, just don't tell your gran that." I tapped the side of my nose. 

"What is this story about?" 

"The saddest sight I saw, little wan."

"What was that grandad Joe?" 

"Have you heard of the...dinosaurs?" 

"They are big and scary!" Little Denise pointed out.

"Well child, in the ocean I have seen big and scary. I use to swim in the ocean. Deep sea diving we called it. I was but a lad of twenty-three years. I saw the great vacuum of the ocean. Beautiful in the most horrible of ways."

"How can something beautiful be horrible?" 

"Because, it just was child. I beheld a Baleen Whale. Biggest mouth you ever did see."

"Daddy says I have a big mouth." 

Again the old man found humor in such innocence. "I'm sure your dad was just being grumpy, child." 

"So why was this whale beautiful and horrible? Why do you refer to it as a hoover?"

He felt another tear in his aging eye. "I saw the great Baleen whale suck up all the plastic in its path." 

"Cant we just clean up the plastic?" The child asked. 

"It might be a little to late, little wan," I answered. I recalled seeing the ocean with more plastic pollution than the greatest mind can imagine. There was little we, as a race could do.

Little Deniese then stood to her feet and walked forward toward the beach. 

"Where are you going little wan?" I asked her.

"We have to save the ocean. Right! I want to do my part. If I start someone/somewhere might follow."

Such strength in one so young. Maybe there is hope for the morrow. For the sun always rises to smother the darkness.  

"Lets clean up then," I stood up and ignored my bad leg. With my wizened hand I held my precious granddaughters. 

Who knows, maybe there will be a brighter future for generations to come. if we all follow the example led by my eight year old granddaughter.  

#PlanetOrPlastic 

#SaveThePlanet.