Reminder: Have Fun!
Posted: June 23, 2016
I recently had the pleasure of taking my wife and three daughters camping for a night and then for a zip-line adventure the next day that lasted about two hours. It had been several years since our last camping trip and so we were all very eager and, perhaps for just this one time, everyone pitched in to help prepare. I packed the truck and we headed south to Pilot Mountain State Park in North Carolina.
Once we arrived in camp, unloaded the truck, got the campsite squared away, and all electronic devices stowed in the glove box, we were able to sit down, relax, and begin to soak in some of the beauty. I noticed that it did not take my two 11 year-olds very long to adjust to the electron-free environment and within a couple of minutes were literally happy campers. My 16 year old however looked as if she did not know exactly what to do with her hands. Clearly, she was going through some form of technology withdrawal. This eventually passed of course and we all settled into what would be a very pleasant and peaceful evening of food and conversation around a fire.
The next morning we were up and at it early and once we packed up the camp and erased all traces of our night there, we were off to the zip-line course. Two hours of simply being a kid with your kids will do miraculous things for your soul and the adrenaline rush of flying over thousands and thousands of feet of wire through trees and pastures will remind you of how it felt to be young every day and perhaps make your kids realize that you may not be a stick-in-the-mud after all.
The bottom line is that making these experiences available to yourself and your family can go a long way to making everyone healthier and happier. Getting away from ever-present technology and getting back to reality by spending time with friends and family is good for the soul so remember to make time to make fun.
