On a beach in Mexico I watched in awe as this presumably young man carried what seemed a truck load of colourful, inflated inner tubes on his back, down along the shoreline. I was not the only one in awe. A little boy stood there, somewhat intimidated, definitely bedazzled and transfixed, his eyes feasting on this amazing sight while his fingers stretched open as if to say, “Yes, please, I would love one of those.” In my mind, this looked like the the archetypal pairing of David and Goliath, though no conflict was to occur. On another level, this scene gives pause. Here I am, an unencumbered tourist on holiday, strolling down the beach, while a man with muscled thighs is burdened with the heavy weight of tons of plastic, trying to make a living.