THE PROMONTORY

" After learning to crawl and
then to walk, we became a kind
of promontory in the landscape
of our childhood by pushing
our small bodies to th edge of
our known world. Promontories
that convey this experience
of being at the extreme edge
of the world abound in natural
and artificial enviroments.
Cliffs, bluffs, canyons, spits,
caves or headlands are types of
promontories, as are balconies,
belveders and catwalks. Standing
at the very edge of one is both
exhilarating and dangerous.
That is why the parapet - the
turned-up edge, low wall or
railing that protects the edge
of a building - is often vital
to one's sense of security."