What I Learned

The Griswolds Chesapeake Bay Family has just returned from a rare trip away from geese, cats, yard work, deadlines and schedules home and we had such a good time.

There were many things I learned on this much-needed break from our normal routine.

(Just to clarify, there is nothing normal about our routine or our life, but "normal" is just one of those words that I like to toss out every now and again to make myself laugh. You could just as easily substitute the word "dysfunctional" any time "normal" appears here. In case I've not mentioned it recently, the name of my next book will be Dysfunction Junction, Where Normal Fears to Tread.)

One of the first things I learned after wiping my feet on the welcome mat of Vacation is that sombreros can be used as sun bonnets. Sunbreros, if you will.

Below is a photo of Baby Sis and her sombrero-wearing self walking towards the beach with Chesapeake Bay Mother. There is so much I could say about how this evening ended, but for now let's just focus on the sombrero mood lighting, also known as condensation on the camera lens.

So, another thing I learned is to allow ample time for one's camera to adjust from a hot, steamy car to air-conditioning back out to 350% humidity. In other words, don't plan on any spontaneous shots, especially when one of your siblings is wearing a sombrero as a sun bonnet.

The next thing I learned is that, yes, there is life without cats and geese technology. We had no internet, no telephones, about two channels of TV and plenty of bored board games to play.

Along those lines, I learned that I have lost all patience as it relates to anything except napping and staring at the ocean the game of Monopoly, but I would play a thousand rounds of it if Chesapeake Bay Daughter asked me to, and she did. At least a thousand times.

There were lots and lots of other lessons learned, including Just because you could body surf when you were twenty years old, does not mean you can do it twice as well in your forties. In fact, you can't even do it half as well. Or at all. But that's OK because your children nearly choked with laughter and the entire beach seemed to be quite amused. Next time put on a sombrero for a little extra panache.

But most important of all is this: I love spending time with my children and family away from the pressures of ordinary life, and with time passing by so quickly it's essential to make the most of every precious second together.


The End.