act 1: I am the photographer at the end of the pier. On high days and holidays the people used to come right to the end. They wanted to get as far away from the land as they could, and yet not get their feet wet. They were excited, they felt free, and smelt of fear. I caught some of the sunlight in my eye and put their life in a box. No one remembered the pier, or the sea, or me, but they kept the box, even though here was nothing left in it.

act 2: Nowadays everyone has got their own camera and their own website where they put up hundreds of amusing snapshots of their lives for all the world to see. And on high days and holidays they go to fantastically exotic places and take artful pictures just like the ones they have seen in glossy magazines.

act 3: Instead of paying someone else to put their lives in a box, they get paid for the sunlight that they catch in their cameras. Everyone tells them they look great and they feel great and they have a little secret too. Yes, they sold one life but they kept a copy for themselves. They had their cake, they ate it, they gave some away, and look! They’ve still got some left.

act 4: They lived happily ever after

act 5: There are five acts in classical tragedy. I am still sitting at the end of the pier. They opened the box. (see act 1)