Treasure Hunt

Living in an apartment complex has its positives and negatives. A strong positive, in my opinion, are the people who inhabit the sets of duplicate buildings. The variety of personalities can almost be equated to a Farmer’s Market produce selection. There are colorful folks, some with rough edges, others dense, but when put all together create an attractive display.

There are several locations throughout the complex where people gather. One of which is the human aquarium some refer to as a pool. Frequent visitors to the chlorinated swimming hole include mostly college-aged students who desire to be kissed by the sun, and families with children who are hoping to enjoy a summer pastime. Since I don’t fit into either of these categories, I will claim myself as an exception to the rule.

When my destination during the day is the gated water world, I can usually be found in the pool as opposed to the patio surroundings. However, much of the excitement is found on the outskirts. This was proven just the other day when I heard a high-pitched squeal from a residential child followed suddenly by the elated declaration, “Treasure!” Her eyes widened and her smile expanded to full capacity as she reached for the earring that had somehow been separated from its twin. I laughed quietly to myself once I realized the true identity of her findings, but couldn’t stop smiling at her reaction.

It’s the same reaction I get when watching the National Treasure series or any Indiana Jones film; the arms-over-the-head, hand-clapping, knees-to-the-chest, grinning-so-hard-it-hurts excitement. As I watched the child’s mother instruct her to return the “treasure” to its spot of acquisition, I started pondering my own interest in adventures with hidden treasure. What is it about those stories that make me want to find a clue, hidden in a brick of a historic building, that will eventually lead me to a seemingly uninhabited island with a village underwater that can only be accessed at sunset, on the third day of the year of the Monkey, by using a missing key whose destination can only be found using a map located at the end of a secret passageway somewhere on the island?

It was then that I realized it’s not the treasure I’m interested in, but the hunt itself. A simple reminder that the journey sometimes is the destination.