We took my 13 year old step son and a friend of his camping this weekend. I am not truly sure they even realized they were out in the woods the entire time they were there, except for the fact that they had to walk to the bathhouse to bathe, etc.
A new language ...
The campground is about a 2 hour drive away from our home and they rode in the back seat and talked "gaming language" the entire time. They are both avid gamestation/computer boys. While I knew the words they were saying, I didn't understand the content of their conversations, not even a little bit. It was so strange to hear a conversation being carried on nonstop that I had no understanding of. It reminded me of an old Twilight Zone show, and I had entered a new dimension... They played their games and watched movies almost the entire time we were camping, except when we took them to the pool and when we made them come outside to play a yard game that we had brought, silly us!!! We actually thought they would enjoy that - it was pure chore for them!!
I grew up camping with my family for the majority of our summer vacations and Mom and Dad had to come looking for us when it was time to eat - they pulled into the campground and we all took off to find some fun, adventure and make new friends. Those were the days when it was safer to let your kids run wild, I know, and they really were the days of fun in the summertime - at least for me and my bros & sis.
On the way home, a huge hawk swooped down out of the sky and was flying really close beside our car for several seconds, I said, "Wow, boys look at that hawk, you could almost touch him, he's so close." ... no response, I looked away from the hawk expecting to see them gazing in amazement at the closeness of this wild creature ... they had not even looked up from their games! I gave up.
I actually felt sorry for them. I know that sounds as though I feel superior to them, I don't mean for it to, but they were missing out of all of that fun that my generation used to have, enjoying the outdoors! Even if they are making their own fun with their gaming systems. They are missing so much!
Til later, V
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