Why Not Gills?

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I have belonged to a writers group for several years. They have taught and inspired me with great patience. One member, I'll call her Abigail because that's her name, has a Ph.D. in Behavioral Science. In spite of this, she still befriends me. Abigail recently wrote a poem about the ascent of humans which inspired me to ask this question...Water covers much more area of the earth than land and has an inhabitable water column. Land, on the other hand, is susceptible to many natural disasters, and we are restricted to surface living. Therefore, I ask why didn't humans develope as marine (ocean-dwelling) people? Since science says we started out in the ocean it seems logical to have remained there and developed.
While most people waste their nights sleeping I spend hours contemplating such important questions as this.
Marshall Kimbrough-Warren

THE COWARD

I was going through basic training at Ft. Ord, Calif.  At 18 years old it was the first time I had been away from my home in Texas. I had never seen an Ocean, so one weekend three of us hiked over to have a look at the Pacific.  We found a pebble beach about 200 yards long with large rocky outcrops at each end and an ominous sign that read "DANGEROUS CURRENTS-NO SWIMMING".  Disregarding the sign we waded into the surf.  I could feel the current ripping the gravel from beneath my feet so I stopped.  The soldier next to me had gone a little further out when he suddenly vanished under the water.  The other soldier yelled, "Get outa the water!"  We hurried out pulling hard against the current.  Just as we cleared the water our buddy popped up about 40 yards out yelling for help.  I was frozen.  No way was I going back in that water.  However, the soldier with me jumped into action.  He yelled, "Help me with this log."  He was pulling a large piece of driftwood towards the water.  I ran over and grabbed one end of the log and we dragged it into the water.  He then swam out pushing the log in front of him until he reached our drowning buddy, who grabbed the log.  Then the two of them fought their way against the current back to shallow water.

I helped them out of the water and they collapsed, completely spent.  As I sat beside them I realized that I would have let him drown.

Marshall Warren    

Just a Thought

 If aliens were to view the earth from the vantage of space/time would they see us as carbon-based infestations devouring its host planet? And if so what do you think their solution would be in order to save the planet?

Marshall Kimbrough-Warren