Wish You (All) Were Here

As we were driving to our weekend destination near Cottonwood, AZ, I made a remark to Jenn I had to take a moment to reflect upon. We were talking about how boring her younger sons would think these trips are. We figured they would say "why do you guys do this?" I know this is what I would have said to my parents. In fact, I used to hate our weekends at Lake Metigoshe growing up. Only in my "old" age do I realize what I missed out on.

Returning to the statement I made, I told Jenn "I would gladly just take two days to stare at a tree". This had me wondering if it was really true and why my younger self couldn't stop moving or occupying myself with some distraction at all times. As a kid those distractions were tv, video games, movies, or watching sports. As an adult, bar hopping and clubbing took the place of those distractions. Of course I still like all of those things, but in a lot more moderation. Now as I move toward middle age the distractions are no longer needed. Some would probably say these trips are just another form of distraction and I guess in some ways they are. But staring at the sky on a beautiful Saturday afternoon with a mountain backdrop or strolling by a river is a much more peaceful distraction than screaming at a video game, vegging out to tv, or drinking until you blackout. As I sit here I wish everyone could enjoy this moment and take in a deep breath of fresh spring air.