my sandbox

"it's like playing in a sandbox when there's a whole beach out there. i could go...but that doesn't change the sandbox"

"yeah but the sandbox is irrelevant. you know that's not going to change so it's not an issue. the only question that remains is...will going to play on a swingset in addition to your sandbox give you the equivalent learning experience to those kids who get the whole beach?"

Sometimes you don't know what you're missing out on until you see what other people have. 6 months ago, the sandbox looked awesome. All I wanted to do was go play in it, but I was too far away and it took too much effort to go visit the sandbox. As time went on, through the ups and downs, I got accustomed to the sandbox and it became comfortable. The work put in to maintain the sandbox wasn't so bad and the joy received from playing in it outweighed the work. Or at least, made it worth it to go to the sandbox every day. It was my sandbox - but it was lonely that sometimes I was the only one in it.

One day I left my sandbox to go play on the swings. And while I was there I saw that another kid put in the same amount of work to maintain the swings - but then instead of a sandbox, she got a beach. And other kids came to play with her at her beach - but ultimately, it was her beach.

And as a natural reaction - I was jealous. I envied her beach. Not because it was a nice beach, per se, but because I realized that I need a beach.

After some thought...I don't think the answer is that I want to go play on her beach. Or anyone else's beach, for that matter. There's a reason that I have my sandbox and I like it. The quality of sand is much higher than that at the beach, and I'm a sand-snob. But there's not much sand, and not too many people come to play with me.

If only my sandbox would become a beach. Filled with the same fine sand, only more of it. I need a beach...