I know this isn't just me...

Ocean Etiquette

Since we all live at the beach, and I can say I've lived on the beach 2 years now, I would just like to make a few notes on the do's and don'ts of going to the beach. It's not that I don't like the business all these tourists bring or the comfort some locals show quite clearly, I just believe that in a public place there should be some common courtesies in tact. If we were in a public pool, would you want the person next to you randomly, and secretly, urinating? I think not.

Urination

I think it's safe to say, there are people who pee in the ocean. I get it, it's a big salty ocean and all the other fish and mammals are doing it. So why not? I don't have a problem with the urination so much as how obvious and courteous people are when the do it. Is it necessary to swim out 100 yards while life guards are whistling and yelling just so you can have a safe distance, no. Is a nice 20-foot perimeter between you and other people possible, I think yes. Also, if you're going to take care of business while in the ocean with a bunch of friends, fair warning is not too much to ask for, whether it's a head's up or "fyi I just peed over there," your friends will appreciate knowing where to swim and where to avoid. Thanks.

Kids

This brings me to the next topic, not just children peeing in the water, but kids in general. I love kids, don't get me wrong, but I do have a few suggestions for certain parents. First of all, if you go to the beach with your children, you're responsible for them, so don't get mad at the life guard when they try to pull a fishhook out of a little boy's foot because he swam too close to some fishermen. While that's an extraordinary example, this also includes not getting wasted drunk while the kids play in the beach as well. Second, if kids are around, you have to be courteous. I don't care how many four letter words make up your vocabulary, a little restraint when you're right next to an impressionable 6-year-old is very much appreciated. And finally, parents, I'm not an expert so I can't place an exact cut-off age or height or weight. But, if your child looks more like a teenager than a baby, they're probably too big to be running around naked, no matter how hot it is.

Nudity

Now I realize that some beaches are topless, some are nude beaches, and we're all just trying to cool off and get a nice tan. However, being completely naked on Wrightsville Beach is not necessary (yes it's happened before). To that effect, underwear is not always sufficient, whether you're running and it's just too hot for actual clothes or you ran out of bakinis and think a bra and underwear will do. I know sometimes you think it LOOKS okay, but please do us all a favor and buy a $6 WalMart bathing suit that will actually cover you. Speedo's: sometimes funny, sometimes just cruel to the person who opened her eyes to a 200lb gorilla-man trying to look European. I get the cultural or confidence thing, but it's just a pet peeve I'd prefer not to see.

Smoking

As my last beach pet peeve, I'd like to bring up smoking. As a smoker (and a non-smoker during the months my quitting last me) I sympathize with the urge to smoke and have definitely smoked on the beach myself. The problem is when a child, family, or other people who don't smoke are sitting downwind from you (usually the wind comes from the ocean, so that would be behind you). I realize you may have found the perfect arrangement of sand for your body and don't want to move a muscle, but it's your habit and you should be the one to get up and walk a few feet.

Parking

I just have one thing to say about parking: please don't block the residents out. Lugging 3 beach chairs, an umbrella, boogieboards, surfboards, skimboards, coolers, towels, and the rest is indeed a great feat. There is, however, no reason to use that as an excuse to block someone's driveway when they may need to get to work or come home. Being close to the beach is great, which is why people live there. People who don't should find the public parking spots that were set out for them. Wrightsville Beach, especially around holidays, certainly could use some more parking spots, but that's just what it is and it shouldn't be too much to ask to respect other people's property.

These complaints may hold some people to too high of standards or they might be just ridiculous, but as a common beach-goer some things needed venting and hopefully some obnoxious people will see this and realize they're being rude or find some common sense.

Homeless Appreciation Week

Okay, it may not be national homeless appreciation week or anything, but it is the week where students are running around from place to place until their lease begins June 1st. This may not seem like a big deal at first, since they have a place to call home and could even go back to their parents houses--work schedules permitting. It is, though, a mind-opening experience figuring out where to eat, sleep, bathe, do laundry, and store everything that doesn't fit in a purse, backpack, or car. During that period of waiting for the apartment to be available, one can realize who their true friends are, which couches are available to sleep on, and which stoves are open for their dinners. It seems like we have hundreds of friends sometimes, even thousands if you count everyone from Facebook. But when it comes to asking someone for a place to stay for a few nights you can find out who will open their homes to you with a spare key to borrow, and who will graciously lend you their floor for a night.

It's easy to say, "Of course I would be the friend to open up my home for a friend in need, no matter what." But when the person is knocking on your door or napping on your favorite couch in the middle of the day after making a mess in the kitchen, things get tricky. We're always told to help those in need in any way. I'd like to think we all do when we get the chance. But when that chance is there 24/7 because there are only so many people who can help, it may begin to feel like they're mooching off your hard-earned possessions. Then you think to yourself: what would I do if I had to stay in town for a week, or even a month, with no place of my own?

That's when you begin to appreciate what you have in life. How many people do you pass by a day in this city, especially downtown, who you know don't have a home? It seems like such a common occurrence that they must be used to it, right? There must be some secret homeless code they all know to get by. Unless that code is simply the willingness to do what it takes to survive in your surroundings, I've found it doesn't really exist. Yes, they have friends and kind citizens who help them out every so often. Even the nicest actions, though, can't mollify the nagging sensation of worries and helplessness. Where will I be tonight? What about tomorrow? What if something happens when I'm sleeping in my Jeep? What if something happens to my car? What if my friend's roommates want me gone? When will I be able to get my stuff home and how? Will my back always hurt from sleeping like this? Where can I go right now? Will I be able to wash my hair today? How does everyone else seem so well put-together?

The worry, the doubt, the feelings of neglect, they constitute the relentless fear behind each long, begging face and each adventurous body of excitement. You can see in it the eyes. It may be a glorious adventure of camping and exploiting affluent friendships, or a sorrowful journey wondering where you belong. Either way, when you fall asleep at night in a bed, car seat, or nothing at all, appreciate what it is you do have in life: your friendships, your family, your job, your possessions that get you by. They are all a gift--one that not everyone has, and one that doesn't last forever. So be thankful for all you have and generous with all you give. Next time you see a homeless person walking down the street or sitting on a corner, offer a sandwich, a new pair of sneakers, or some company. We all like to feel connected to the world (through people, the internet, and other forms media). Feeling alone and without a place to call home is a scary experience--no matter how adventurous--so please be kind to those in need this week (and always) and appreciate everything you can so easily take for granted every day. :)

Rebecca Black - Friday (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

FRIDAY

I'm sure you've all heard more than enough of Rebecca Black's youtube song, "Friday," that went viral a few months ago and recently was used in the T.V. show "Glee's" latest episode. Well that song has been stuck in my head for about a day now thanks to the kids I babysat so I figured I'd blog about it. Now it's not so unusual for a teenager to make a youtube video hit, but this quasi-legitimate music video is ridiculous[ly catchy] to the point that it may have been following a pop music trend: simple, catchy songs that get stuck in your head. Advertisers have been using these for years to promote their products through jingles that are so haunting they drive you to spontaneously hum or tap your fingers to the beat when you're not even thinking. Since many "music artists" follow the same strategy of coming up with a single hook accompanied by a repetitive beat it's become child's play to create a song; with the ease of digital editing, kids can be their own producers as well. That leaves us to wonder, will there be more songs like, "Fiday"??? I, for one, am afraid to consider such a thought. However, we must acknowledge the recognition this video has gotten since February. It's had almost 150,000,000 views, had a few good parodies, been discussed on many talk shows, and been performed by a musical T.V. show whose main plot involves teenagers writing and singing songs to feel like rock stars. Maybe this is just another youtube video that's about to get too old. But maybe--cross your fingers it's not true--but maybe this new teenage hobby will continue to seep into our society, as it has through the media of internet and television, and haunt our tapping fingers and whistling tongues with crazy tunes that lack all but the basic musical merit.