bug city

[asakiyume]

Yesterday morning I saw a construction across the asphalt path that runs through the common area in our neighborhood. It was a long stick, and leaning on the stick were smaller sticks and twigs, bits of lichen-covered bark, and moss. It looked as if ambitious small-scale beavers had decided the path was a flow of water and were attempting to dam it.

Later in the day I was passing by again, and three little kids, two boys and a girl, were happily at work on it. It was, they told me, a bug city, complete with bridges, roads, parks, districts--everything.




This morning Wakanomori and I found it expanded, so I took a video:

Watch on YouTube

They were all so wholly engaged with the work, excited and happy, feeding off each other's ideas.

What White Horses, Nazca lines, pyramids, citadels, or hanging gardens did you get up to creating in childhood? Or now, for that matter?

Comments

[sartorias]

When I was small, my dad used to take us to the beach so he could work on his tan. We were not allowed to touch the water, as he meant to lie there until he'd toasted, not have to watch us. So my sibs ran around, and I build elaborate cities in wet sand, complete with tunnels and little cottages, and steps going up and down hills. Wet sand was wonderful for sticking together! I also used to write words to watch them swept away.

[asakiyume]

cities in the sand are fabulous--the bigger they are, the more wonderful.

Do you remember what words you wrote to be erased?

[sartorias]

The words were mostly names of my story characters. I felt very daring, having them right out in the world (because of course the world would be FASCINATED yet there was the possibility of being in trouble) so it was satisfying to make them--then to see them swept away into secrecy again. (Eh, I was seven or eight--he'd stopped taking us by the time I was ten.

[asakiyume]

I think that's marvelous. Just think of the waves carrying those names out into the ocean. Mer creatures meeting Sartorias-deles! (If you were already imagining that world at that young age?)

[sartorias]

I was indeed. Started at age eight, with Clair and the gang or girl adventurers.