Feb 6, 2018 3 min read

When my middle child was little, she had a hobby that was not particularly common to other kids her age. She liked to collect rocks.

If we went on vacation, she wanted to bring a rock home. Not always a small rock, either. She liked the large, smooth river rocks that are often utilized in place of mulch or flowers around vacation homes. Several times, her dad or I had to unload her overnight bag full of rocks she thought we wouldn’t notice she was attempting to smuggle home.

For one birthday, she even asked me to get her a “rock box.” She was certain that the thing should exist. Why wouldn’t there be a pretty box for sale where an avid collector such as herself could store away her treasures?

Alas, I could find no such thing. Instead, I emptied out a jumbo-size container of cocoa powder and, using scrapbook paper and stickers, created a rock box for her. It had all of her favorite things: green paper, purple stickers, and a space inside to hold her most prized rocks.

She was overjoyed; I was confused. What possible enjoyment could be found in collecting rocks? Still, I enjoyed seeing her face light up, so when I went on out-of-state trips with the older girl for soccer, we picked out a rock that we thought she might like. She was usually thrilled with our finds.

It turns out that she was ahead of her time.

Fast-forward to present day, and you will discover rock enthusiasts all over the world. Look anywhere on social media and you will find a plethora of groups dedicated to painting, hiding and rehiding rocks. Our own county boasts at least one such group.

The premise is to paint a rock with a design of your choosing before hiding it in the place of your choosing. The rocks are tagged on the back with the name of the group to which the painter belongs, and often, the name of the painter.

It is the finder’s choice whether to keep the rock, or rehide if for someone else to find. Regardless of which you choose, you are supposed to post a picture of it in the group for the painter to see. I suppose there is some fun in seeing how far a particular rock has traveled.

I have found several such rocks. Hiders are fond of parking lots, as they make for a convenient drop-off place, as well as being areas with a high likelihood of them being found. I’m told that area parks are common locations to seek them, as well.

Although now a teenager, my girl still enjoys finding nice rocks. She has purged some of them, as she can no longer remember from where they came. Others remain because they are marked with who brought them to her and why. And, her collection includes a couple of the painted ones created by local artists.

They will not likely travel to any far-off destinations anytime soon, but they will be in good company with the other rocks that she loves enough to keep. That isn’t really a bad fate, all things considered. Especially for an old stone, after all.

Laura Zoeller can be reached at zoeller5@verizon.net.