Conus gloriamarus

This is Conus gloriamaris, one of the rarest and most desirable sea shells, a handsome cone many call the “glory of the sea.” According to Encyclopedia Britannica, a Conus gloriamaris gets a very good price on the market and is the only shell known to have been stolen from a large museum. Look under your sofa cushion. Maybe you’ve got one.

conus gloriamaris glory of the sea

Bad things happened, an entire run of them that shut me down, caused me to withdraw from everything except my inner self.

One afternoon, in a hammock, I took a photo of myself. Just my legs. But there was no one to send it to. No one to understand.

I needed a sidekick so I sketched an armadillo because they’re crusty on the outside but not within. I made him my butler. Crusoe’s manservant Friday.

We began interacting—my hammock photo speaking to that critter, that critter speaking back.There’s a folder of cartoons somewhere. For now there’s just this one. (LINK)

Eventually after that I began writing novels.

I’m still a hermit, marooned you might say, but leaving my shell more and more—my inner self seeking its freedom through writing.