Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blotspot.com.
It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Everybody knows what that means. You might say the same thing about treasure, but I'd like to make a distinction. Treasure is not so much in the eye as it is in the heart.
That might sound like poetry or psychology or maybe just some kind of mystical mumbo jumbo, but there is a lot of truth in it, and I'm going to try to explain what I mean.
I'm going to make a distinction between metal detecting and treasure hunting. The distinction isn't perfect, but it might help me make a point.
Metal detecting might be considered to be a type of physical activity. It can be done without a lot of thought or contemplation. It can be little more than a way of spending some time and picking up a few coins or whatever else happens to pop up. That is the way some people metal detect.
Treasure hunting, on the other hand, might be thought of as more complex. Unlike the view of metal detecting that just presented, treasure hunting is not a series of unrelated hunts, It has a more focused long-term goal. It is more like a war than a battle. A series of obstacles must be overcome, and as a result, as the person is tested time and time again, personal growth is likely. Treasure hunting is as much about the journey as the objects. There can be a mythic quality about it as the quest unfolds.
Over the years, my metal detecting turned into treasure hunting. I noticed that there were always challenges. I found that there was usually something protecting the best treasures. To put it another way, there was always a dragon to slay. The best hunting was often during a storm, or in the pitch darkness of night, or under rocks or mud, under stumps or roots, in deep or rough water, buried in tons of trash or something. The dragon could take on many forms, and it could be big or small, but there was usually a dragon.
Without a battle or obstacles to overcome, there is little excitement. Just watch an Indiana Jones movie.
Excitement is one thing, but without a battle there is also no victory. If an item is too common and too easily obtained, it is not treasure. Part of what makes it treasure is the quest.
There is a good story in the Bible where Jehoshaphat and his people were about to be attacked by the Ammonites (I think it was), and Jehoshaphat was told, "The battle is not yours, but God's." Well if the battle is God's, why did the people have to go out against the enemy? Here is the answer. By demonstrating faith and going out against the enemy, they were put in position to see the victory and pick up the spoils. Without the battle, there would be no victory, and if the people did not go into battle, they would not be in position to pick up the spoils.
Many people who get into metal detecting think that it is an easy way to strike it rich, or at least pick up some money or maybe a bauble or two. That is fine. Metal detecting is still a fun hobby, but people like that seldom advance in the hobby, and when they find that it is not everything they expected, they give up and quit.
True treasure hunters, on the other hand, are committed to the quest. There is more to it for them than picking up some nice items. They might not analyze it, and they might not be able to communicate it clearly, but in their gut they feel that it is about something bigger. As they overcome obstacles in the world while seeking treasure, there is an internal victory over personal limitations, and what is gained is greater awareness and a fuller life. For those who pursue it in that way, treasure hunting is more about the journey than it is about the treasure.
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I've noticed that a lot of my readers are religious or spiritual. I'll still plan to explore that issue in the future.
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| 1930s Donald Duck Bisque Figurine. |
The Donald Duck shown here is like the one I found. Mine lacks the head, and the paint is gone. It is from the 1930s.
There were a variety of Donald Duck figurines, each slightly different and bearing a different serial number on the collar. They have the same copyright marking as the one I found.
It is bisque, not porcelain.
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There are only two days remaining to respond to the current blog poll. Your responses are appreciated.
Saturday we'll have a smooth surf and gentle north winds, but the tides will be bigger than normal.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
