Everything is relative. The meaning of youth or that of childhood. In the desert, age is just a number. One is born an adult, with responsibilities. One is soon a man or woman who actively contribute to the community or to the family. This doesn’t mean I haven’t seen children play in the desert, but it’s not normality. We were crossing the palm grove of Tichit on foot. It extends for about two kms towards the NW. I saw some kids between the palm trees playing and joking with each other. One of them was carrying a bundle of dry palm leaves over his head while the others laughed and chased each other. It was almost noon; the sun was high and beating down on our heads. The scene reminded me that no matter how hard life can be, no matter where you are, it doesn’t take much to smile. I couldn’t help but capture the simplicity, but power of this moment framed in this surreal context. A young palm grove crossed by young boys, The Palm Boys. To make the scene even more dramatic, the strong wind moved the crown of the palm trees while everything below them moved slower.
