Looking at some of the yachts in the harbor of Cannes, I was struck by these pads that protect the wood from the ropes the bumpers are attached to, and the bumpers, in turn, protect the ship’s side from getting scraped on the dock. These particular pads are made of beautiful saddle leather, evidently hand-stitched, and there were about 20 of them. I guess if one can afford a yacht like this, bumper-rope pads are a mere trifle. When I imagine having to buy twenty of these, I shudder and I say to myself that economically, the owners of this yacht and I are worlds apart. Then I realize that the difference between me and those who don’t have enough to survive is even greater. It’s a sobering, unpleasant thought, but we don’t bruise: our minds are padded.