Lighthouse. What About It?

I took this picture with my Olympus E520 of
one of many lighthouse on The Seaway Trail.
This is on Lighthouse St. in Erie, Pennsylvania.

When you were a child, you liked a lot of things. But sometimes, there was a thing that you just liked and you couldn't explain why. Even now that you are grown up, you still don't know why you liked that thing but you just did. What's more fascinating is that you continue to like that thing despite the unknown reasons. You try to look back in your childhood and remember some situations where you liked that thing; what caused that liking and what significant meaning it must had hold. But you just don't know and you know you just like that thing.

I'm in that setting. The thing for me is a lighthouse. A lighthouse is a tower that sits on the shore and lit the light onto the waters to guide the ships safely to the docks in the dark. Growing up ever since I can remember, I've always liked lighthouses even though I never lived near lighthouses nor knew anyone with connection to them. I remember drawing lighthouses at creative moments when I was younger. I usually draw in a specific way: a red & white diagonal striped lighthouse on a tall rocky shore, lighting up on a ship far away on the wavy sea. The last time I drew a lighthouse was on my 21st birthday when I painted it on a pre-heated mug with my friend in a pottery shop.

Few years ago on a mission trip, my friend led a discussion in a group and he assigned us to draw how we personally would picture God. After thinking about it for minutes, a lighthouse came in my mind. I used a spiritual parallel to explain that God is a lighthouse and He shines in the dark to lead people to the safe harbor. For a while, I used this spiritual parallel to explain why a lighthouse was significant in my life. Eventually, I came to realize it wasn't true. I thought it was a really good but it wasn't the reason why I would think so fondly of lighthouses.

It might have to do with a TV anime series called Galaxy Express 999 I watched when I was 6 or 7 years old. Whenever I would try to think of the reason to liking lighthouses so much, I had a vague connection to that series. I clearly remember the main characters and the flying train that travels throughout the galaxy but not so clearly of the contents. I wonder if if there was an episode that involved with a lighthouse and somehow it impressed on me. I used to watch this series religiously so it could had triggered my admiration for lighthouses. If I watch this series again, I may get the answer. But it's going to be difficult to find the full accessibility because this series is from late 1970's. (Edit: All seasons are available as Instant Watch on Amazon.com but not in DVDs which I want.)

Right now, I have come to accept the terms that I don't need a reason to like lighthouses. But I just can't help but think why. Why would a kid like an unexciting building so much? Maybe I thought it was pretty. But then again, why would it had a such significant meaning in my life as a young kid? Maybe I'm thinking too much. All in all as well as the mystery goes, the lighthouses are just plain awesome.

When I recently took a vacation with my friend in Erie, PA, I discovered Great Lakes Seaway Trail that features many lighthouses. They are all across the northern border of New York and a bit of Pennsylvania. There are 28 historic lighthouses. I would love to take a month to travel and visit each and every lighthouse. It would be very exciting trip for me and I hope I will someday with an interested traveling partner. It is going to be on my Bucket List. You can visit the site for more information about them at www.seawaytrail.com/lighthouses.

What about you? Do you have this kind of inhibiting fascination with a thing for no reason?