Re: 'Castles' made of sand

10/09/11 - posted by jb

I was no Howard Roark as a kid (or adult) and my beach developments were pretty much mundane, emulating the conceptual castles of fantasy and chess boards that were familiar territory in my youth. Sand demanded structure back then and the idea that this medium was fluid enough to create anything grander never crossed my mind. The fantasy came to play after the work was done, soon to be carried out to sea with the new tide, leaving a clear frontier for the next kid or my next visit. Yes, these creations were the realm of children and reflected child-like simplicity. Things were so much more simple then and adult direction and overt supervision were not necessary. We were free to explore the limits of our own imaginations rather than our parents and reap the pride of accomplishment, standing tall in the sun.

I'm not sure when all this changed but the art and industry of expansive sand castles and other creative forms has been going on in Carmel for 46 years and is mostly the domain of industrious adults with advanced degrees and desires. These are serious folks on a competitive mission, often requiring a year of planning and plotting. I imagine they are having a good time...but few have as much fun at the beach as a dog or kid with a bucket and shovel and all the time in the world.