California

There is a town in California called Topanga.

Yes, the same as Corey's girlfriend's name on "Boy Meets World". I'm almost positive that the only reason why I remember its name is because of that show. It's a little south of Malibu, near Pepperdine along PCH.

One of the strangest things I saw in California happened in Topanga. I visited it on my last day of vacation a few years back. It was sunset, but I made my family stop at one last beach. I've always loved the beach, how the sand settles in around me as I lay there listening to the soothing ebb and flow of the waves in the background.

As we walked down towards the water, we encountered a man stacking rocks the size of my head on top of each other. But, he wasn't stacking them on the flat sides, as you would to make a caryn or a pile. Instead, he was staking them on the points and edges making very precarious looking towers. But, for some reason they didn't fall over. He staked five or six on top of each other and then would move on the next stack. Making each stack as sturdy as the next.

It was fascinating to watch him. He would turn the rocks over in his hands a few times like he was looking for an energy or center, and then would just place them carefully on top of each other, and not once did I see one fall over.

The man had a skill. Maybe not a marketable skill, but I'm still amazed to this day at his talent.