Bhushan Raj Selvaraj

Writing this immediately after a few minutes of arriving at this Loyola Beach in Chicago.

Just looking at it for few minutes getting flogged by the waves every 2 seconds makes me feel so sad for these sheet piles. They are doing their duty “holding hands together” (fins hold together like hands) protecting the shore but enduring the pain till they die (get replaced or broken). But how do we know their life is sad. May be they enjoy doing their duty. They are fortunate to be here by this lake all their lifetime instead of being under concrete and ground. They get to see the sun rise and set every day; watch the night sky with ask the stars and may be an occasional meteor. They also get to see and hear happy children and families swimming in front of them.

We never know what they go through. Like life, there is a mix of joy and misery. I am sure they wish for the winter to rest from the flogging with the frozen lake. Life of this pile is also interesting when you think about it.