Readers weigh in on the power of the ocean to soothe the mind, suggest a pedestrian-only Pacific and curse litterbugs.
Am I Blue?
I found the article about Blue Mind by Georgia Perry (“Blue Brother,” Currents, May 30.html) poetic, accurate and enchanting. I can sometimes smell the ocean when I'm downtown on the mall or at the farmer's market, the cool, subtle sea breezes, calming and soporific, whether by day or by night. At night I can hear the distant crash of the waves, although I live past downtown a couple blocks. When I'm actually at the seashore, I feel I'm before a womb of depth and power. Science tells us that all life on Earth originated in the sea, and originally evolved there, and in various spiritual traditions the sea is the waters of the womb of the Goddess, as in the case of Yemaya or Iamanja, in Santeria or Candomble. Taoism sees water as Yin and the source of all. In psychoanalytical depth psychology, the sea takes us back to the womb and gives us comfort, and that is why warm salt waters are so familiar, comforting and pleasurable. Julia Kristeva has written how the color blue is one of the first colors an infant perceives, and so expanses of blue evoke the bliss of early childhood, before the ego develops, and thus blue has a calming effect. Paradoxically, I believe the yearning for space travel and ballooning also come from the yearning for “floating in the blue,” feeling weightless and timeless and in an encompassing space that holds us.
Erich J. Holden
Santa Cruz
Cars Off The Mall
[RE: “Will Pacific Go Both Ways?” Currents, May 30].html: I think they're looking at this the wrong way. If anything, downtown should be shut off completely to auto traffic and made into more of a European-style scenario like Santana Row. Landscaping down the middle with more outdoor seating. My guess is it would improve business by encouraging foot traffic and providing places for patrons to hang out. It would increase the coolness factor, which would draw more people to downtown. I don't see how two-way traffic does anything but increase auto traffic, noise and pollution. People used to hang out at the Cooper House because of the outdoor seating and friendly outdoor lounging experience.
Pecos Davis
Felton
Make Buttheads Pay
I feel strongly that law enforcement needs to enforce the law of littering—more specifically, people who think it’s OK to toss their cigarette butts wherever they want.
This is disrespectful to our precious planet. Are people so ignorant that they don't realize it can take up to 12 years for the product to decompose? Unfortunately the acetate filters won't break down.
I've participated in many beach clean-ups, and the amount of cigarettes I pick up is nauseating. It amazes me at how some people can just soil our precious beaches with their carcinogenic butts.
Unfortunately they release toxic substances into our land and ocean. According to a 1998 study by the USDA, 176,250,000 pounds of cigarette butts were improperly and illegally discarded. Not surprisingly, it is the number one piece of litter in the U.S.A.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to see a ticket written for improper disposal of cigarettes. The butts need to pay for their crime.
Christopher McIntosh
Santa Cruz
