A thing is a thing

That’s me making shadows. And a tree making shadows. And a hedge, ditto.

I was walking down the street and I noticed a young girl—eight or nine years old, I’d guess—moving her arms around in different poses on the sidewalk ahead of me. Dancing? But her feet weren’t moving. She was looking at the ground.

As I got closer I realized she was watching the shadow she was making, and making different shapes to change her shadow. Her legs were spread wide, making her shadow immense.

It was pretty cool-looking.

“Cool shadow,” I said as I passed.

She looked up at me. “Thanks,” she said.

I walked a few more paces and found myself thinking: I should have said, “Cool shadow art.” Then I thought: No. It’s a shadow. And the shadow was cool.

Sure, a cool shadow can be art, but calling it art doesn’t make it any cooler.

Why can’t a thing just be a thing? Why does it have to be a thing of a thing?

This concept of categorizing, does it come from the language of selling? Or the language of higher purpose? Art is a higher purpose, therefore calling a thing art gives that thing a higher purpose.

But in my mind purpose (or whatever) by itself is fine, high or low.

And what about that saying, “Higher purpose is in the eye of the beholder.” Lol, jk.

This is how I amuse myself walking down the street. I stopped at a Little Free Library to check out the books, and look at what I found.

Don’t tell me the universe doesn’t have a sense of humor.

Weekend writing prompt: “And for another thing…”