As a dyed-in-the-wool rock-hound, I spend a good deal of time staring at the ground. No matter where I go, there's always the possibility that I might discover a gemstone that others have tread upon without knowing it; and that has actually happened on rare occasions. Naturally, I take time out to get my bearings and admire the scenery, as well, but when in the field, collecting is almost an obsession with me. I actually love the hobby of collecting rocks, and I've been doing it since I was 5 years old. I remember one incident that happened when I was a youngster. I had been out on a very adventurous field trip in the vacant lot across the street from our home. I gathered a wonderful collection of pretty rocks and emptied the contents of a bulging pocket-including, I imagine, an accumulation of dirt-onto my dresser next to the bed. As I think back, those rocks were nothing more than granite and perhaps sandstone pebbles, with possibly a few nubbins of shale mixed in, but they were important to me at the time.
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