Shells

During a recent trip to the west end of Dauphin Island, AL with friends and family, we stumbled upon a carpet of shells. The large, heavy, almost fossil-looking clam shells intriqued me. As we spent three days returning to the scene to confirm our discovery, I developed more questions to ponder....

What kind of shell was this, specifically, and what did the animal inside look like?

Where did this large collection originate? Were they uncovered or washed up by a recent storm?

How long have they been without their inhabitants?

Do they represent lost protection? Or freedom from encasement and structure?

Does walking on shells cause disequilibrium, loss of balance..... or consideration

and watching your step?

Were they there to discover Anne Morrow Linbergh's sentiments:

“Perhaps middle-age is, or should be, a period of shedding shells; the shell of ambition, the shell of material accumulations and possessions, the shell of the ego”