We live in a world of privilege and convenience. That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact. Our phones now serve as maps, cameras, GPS, news stations, game boards, and the infamous Internet and social media outlets. I’m even writing this on my phone-so, add notebook to the list. It has become far too easy to avoid boredom and “unplug” by actually plugging in.
We have Ninja mixers, self-driving cars, and the “hover” board for crying out loud (despite that it doesn’t actually hover). We have watches that calculate sleep, heart rate, and steps walked. Everywhere you look there’s an option to make things just a little more convenient without much thought or labor.
There are pros and cons to this advancement. While technology can help with safety and time management… We can just as easily lose touch with reality and lose sight of the simple things life [and God] have to offer.
The best times to live it up and battle boredom is in the summer! I look back on summers of my childhood. It doesn’t feel that long ago, but so much has changed. My mom was a teacher, so she was home with us. We’d wake up, eat breakfast and drive to Bowdon City Pool or ride bikes down the sidewalk. I spent many hours climbing the big magnolia tree in our back yard or reading books in the shade. My sister and I would have hoola hoop contests or walk to our grandmother’s. We’d play barbies with our friends, jump rope, and play hide and seek.
Then there was the sprinkler. If you didn’t run through the water hose or a sprinkler as a kid, you are severely sheltered and missing one of the greatest parts of summer. At night we’d catch lightning bugs or eat watermelon on the picnic table. When my parents built on to their house, there was a little ledge where you could climb onto the roof during construction. We definitely saw a great view of the stars on hot summer nights.
If we were bored and came whining to my mom, she’d respond: “Well you need to go back outside and find something else to do.” Not once did she offer us the iPad or a video game. Why? Because it was SUMMER and we were not about to sit inside and nag her about what else we could do or apps she could buy. It was an opportunity to put our legs, arms, and minds in motion to take advantage of the time away from schedules, homework, and a bed time.
When did we morph into this society that is so focused on convenience?! When did a phone or computer become more entertaining than spending time with friends and family? And when did we stop having summers like we did in the 80s and 90s? Summers that meant something and make our hearts ache for those memories from long ago?
We went to the park this morning and I watched 4 different kids playing on an iPad IN THE PARK! There’s a huge playground feet away and the morning was beautiful!
Let me just go ahead and say, this is not a post of judgment or direction. I’m guilty of letting Griffin use the phone for his apps when I have to get ready or cook dinner. This is simply an observation and plea with God for me to give my children summers that mean more than the next level on candy crush or stalking what their buddy is saying on Twitter years from now. I want my kids to make memories with that same buddy. Face to face memories: sunbathing on Chimney Rock and drinking a glass bottle Coke; or maybe beating the heat at a neighborhood potluck party as they play Red Rover with sun burnt faces and skinned knees.
And if I have to tear every joint in my body… So help me, I’m going to teach my kids how to climb trees before I teach them how to start an Instagram account. I’ll tell you what our summer is going to look like, and every summer from here out: bad tan lines, dirty hands and faces, a new flower bed, and the soles of our shoes rubbed off. We are going to put miles and miles on our little red wagon, wash our cars 10 times over, and have a permanent scent of sunscreen.
We’ll decorate the driveway with chalk, house lightning bugs and green frogs in my grandmother’s mason jars, do some front porch rocking, and paint outside instead of on the iPad. We will wake up late and go to bed late. We are going to feel the breeze on our three faces as we ride boats on the lake, and watch the Lasershow at Stone Mountain.
And just when I get the itch to search for convenience… I’m going to make lemonade, have a picnic, and pray for God’s gentle reminder that its summer only for a little while. Afterall, my kid(s) will only be kids for a short time with a lot of experiences that need to be embraced. Convenience is sometimes overrated, especially in the business of making memories.
house of stain 