See, My Treasure Throve (Of Pebbles)
We were all innocent until we lost our curiosity.
Just back from school, my young man walked straight into my room.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
No other family member knocks on my bedroom door that way. Only man my man-to-be does that.
With my eyes still glued to the story I was drafting on my glowing candy-bar. I replied, "Yes, come right in."
Announcing his presence, he walked straight towards the window.
"Grandpa, good afternoon."
Welcome, are you back? As if the answer wasn’t staring at me - oxymoronic.
"Yes."
What is that in your hand?
He was going to drop another pebble of stone into my collection.
For an answer, he raised the stone to my view as he retraced his steps back towards me in my seat.
"See, I picked up this one for you on my trek back from school."
I received my new gift. One of his several similar past gifts.
Throughout timeless millennia, its rough edges have been worn smooth, exposing an oblique oval shape on one side and obsidian on the other. The touch of its shiny silkiness was a welcome delight in my palms. Soothing.
The other day, my friend, on getting to know of my eccentric hobby, thought I was going nuts upstairs.
"What are you doing with all these pebbles?"
So, if you are asking me that same question, just know that you are not the first questioner. My grandson was the first. Next, my lifelong friend. And now, you.
To your "What? ", "How", or "Why"? my answer remains the same.
I just like them — these artifacts of time and endless eternity.
My treasure trove, fragments from the Museum of the Infinite.
My eclectic collection is sprinkled all over our landscape. If only you are curious enough to stoop down and pick some. In admiration.
My finite pebbles of time keep on expanding as our infinite universe.
I lived, grew up, and schooled in a hilly rugged terrain of a town. On my last trip there, I caught sight of delightsome rocks, grains, crystals, and slabs I never seemed to notice in my teenage years. Treasures.
It seems I never made enough time for curiosity when I was a child. Now, I’m making up for lost time with my grandson.
Key Message
We were all children until we lost our curiosity.
Curiosity comes naturally with children. As parents or adults, we must join them in their adventures of discovering life and the world around them. Curiosity opens us all to learning new ideas and exploring our world — near or far.
Ultimately, curiosity helps us to overcome life’s challenges as we confront the obstacles that make up the pathway of life’s journey. Yours and mine.
Thanks for your reading time. You can connect with me on Bluesky, Mastodon, or Twitter.