Long Lost Love: Lighthouses

I sometimes describe myself as a person who has more hobbies and interests than he has time for. The particular things I've had an interest in haven't changed at all for many a year, but certainly the intensity of each has gone up and down as time passed. I haven't had the time for my photography as in years past, and I haven't taken the time to go the the movie theater at all this semester. Meanwhile, my passion for anime is as strong as ever, while my love of cooking is still beginning to bloom. Some mild interests have yet to take root. My interest in alcohol, which is of a different sort than the uninhibited abandon that most people my age display, has been tempered both by my age and my poor reaction to imbibing even moderate amounts. I've also always been a huge fan of songs about heartbreak and loss, thanks (in part) to my predilection for country music; however, I'm pretty sure my reaction to most love songs is a bit less intimate and a bit more green (not the trendy, Earth-friendly kind of green, either).

Every now and then, however, I'm gently reminded of something particular in my past, something that a younger, less jaded and more romantic me had a particular fondness for.

I have Windows 7 Professional installed on my computer, thanks to UIUC's software giveaway last year to engineering students. I was about to shut down my computer when in the corner of the Start menu, where it's always been, was my user icon: a lighthouse. Now, I've always had that icon since I installed 7, and I've usually just glanced at it before without a second thought. However, for whatever reason this time, after I shut my computer down I thought on and off about my old affection for lighthouses. I don't recall exactly recall when I started getting "into" lighthouses, so it almost feels like the sort of thing I was born to love - a predisposition, if you may.

Sitting on my desk right now is a hammered aluminum bookmark with the shape of a lighthouse on it. I also enjoy taking photos of lighthouses. Thinking about it even more, the only song from Nickel Creek that I like is "The Lighthouse's Tale" (okay, maybe I also like "Smoothie Song," but I also like smoothies! I digress...).

I can't name one particular reason why I like lighthouses so much. Perhaps the biggest draw for me is the nearly unexplainable romance of the idea of a lighthouse conveys. Obviously, lighthouses are in or near large bodies of water. Water itself holds particular significance for me. Then again, for just about every natural occurrence, I've attached a particular nuanced feeling, with more basic ones (water, wind) being more multi-faceted. Finishing up this digression: part of what makes water special is the fact that my inability to swim tempers just about every gentle feeling I have when I watch the ocean. Okay, digression finished.

Lighthouses mark both areas that are dangerous to ships as well as ports and other safe havens. This duality interests me. They are saviors to ships lost in fog or rough waters. They save lives with the light that they are able to give, and I greatly admire that.

Also of particular interest is that lighthouses are often portrayed to be in remote locations, separate from the rest of humanity. The Hermit in me (I also have an interest in tarot [despite the skeptic in me. I also have my own deck.], as well as a healthy interest in other areas of the occult. [Enough to know to stay away from Ouija boards and to keep salt handy, just in case.] Digression.) *clears throat* The hermit in me can relate to that aspect of lighthouses. Lighthouses themselves usually have living quarters attached to them, and I can't help but think about those who operate the lighthouse. A strong response is elicited from me whenever I see a picture of a lighthouse with no sign of civilization (or, sometimes, land) around, just water and cliffs.

Needless to say, when I am older, have a job, and need to go on vacation, I wouldn't mind spending it driving up and down the coast during reasonable weather, admiring the lighthouses, as well as many other little things I like about the coast. I can try and go on about more things that attract me to lighthouses, but I feel that they are hard to completely express with just words. So here are some pictures of lighthouses for your enjoyment. Perhaps you'll find in them some of the things I've talked about and gain an appreciation for these wondrous creations of human architecture.