LOVE OF A LIGHTHOUSE

For some, lighthouses are a lovely stop on a road trip, and for others they are a full-blown obsession. Pharologists (as lighthouse students or enthusiasts are called) cite endless reasons for the love that they feel for these illuminant protectors, but it seems that chief among them is what they represent in a metaphorical sense rather than a practical one.

Lighthouses are often referred to as beacons of hope, guiding lights in tough times, and guardians whose sole purpose is to keep us safe. They are symbolic of the isolation of man coupled with our underlying connection to one another. They are humanity’s most altruistic constructions, designed merely to help, and nothing else.

But to get back to basics, they are