Last week, I was lucky enough to spend 8 days and 7 nights cruising the Caribbean with 400 marketers on Mike Filsaime’s “Marketers Cruise”. It had been about 7 years since my last cruise, and I quickly realized that being over 21 had its benefits when you’re on a boat for 8 days. The new friends that I made, including all the questionably-sane Mavericks, the opportunity seekers and the value givers was an awesome present. Everyone was so cool and fun to hang out with – and the food & service was excellent.

I spent some time on my balcony (did I mention I had a room with a view?!), and one early evening, I was just daydreaming outside. There wasn’t an island in sight, and no form of life, aside from the geriatrics hanging out poolside a few floors away. It was peaceful, serene, and gave me some nice reflection time.

Then… I saw it. A plate. Floating in the water. In the middle of the ocean. It wasn’t a plate that we had on the boat – at least not one that I ever saw – so I can only assume it came from another boat or off an island and floated into our path. I can’t begin to tell you how much this got to me, how much I felt like strangling every person I met for doing this kind of shit.

It’s really infuriating to me that people think it’s cool to throw their garbage on the ground, to let our Earth bare witness to its ungrateful inhabitants.

When we left Aruba, I sat topside and watched the workers untie the lines and the thrusters push the boat off the dock. The mood was perfect, but I still noticed cigarette butts on the ground that I was standing on. These must have been from people smoking out their cabin windows and throwing them down, having the wind catch them and putting them into the wind pocket I was in. More garbage.

I doubt this will do much except confess to you that if I ever catch you throwing your garbage on the ground, purposefully wasting consumables, or just being a general dick, I’ll call you out. I might even get a megaphone and tell you to pick it up.

So do us all a favor – live a “Leave No Trace” lifestyle. Don’t be a dick. Clean up after yourself. This includes everyone at the airport who “accidently” leaves their Wendy’s bag and half-finished Frostie behind as they board their plane, assuming that somebody else will take care of it for them. You’re just being lazy, and I’m sick of it.