Walking along the beach, as I do, I came across this man and his mighty-fine sandcastle. He didn't mind me taking pictures.
I asked, "How long have you been building this?"
"Since noon," he replied.
It was about 6 p.m. by that time.
*
I considered those four hours and the more he would put in before the sun swallowed up the daylight and sent him home.
"Don't you mind that it will be gone by morning?" I asked.
"By midnight," he said, laughing and without ceasing the sculpting.
"Do you take pictures?" I asked, still curious. "Enter sandcastle contests?"
He shook his head. He did this for fun, for challenge, for joy. Nothing more.
*
That got me thinking. Perhaps the most pure creations are not to please audiences or achieve prizes but are simple outpourings of joy and wonder. It's a free-ing notion, don't you think?
And one more thing: I love those upsweeping castle walls he made. I'm going to draw the castle in my fairy tale, bring it to life on a sketchbook page. What fun I shall have!
