Let me back up a bit before I start. Every family has many humorous stories that are told and retold. For me I could have a whole chapter on wandering away when I was little.
So here's one of my favorite stories about one of my kids.
For a couple of summers when my kids were little we did not pack up the trailer and head off for two weeks or so. It was better for all concerned to stay home and take a few day trips.
When the kids were about 4 or 5 we decided to take a day trip to a largely abandoned coal mine area. There was one mine that still operated for the winters and in the summer they ran tours through the mine. We decided to do the mine tour.
My son was dressed a white Tee shirt and shorts for a hot day . Now don't get ahead of me on the white tee shirt in a coal mine. I'll get to that. A picnic lunch was packed.
15 or 20 people were ready for the tour. We were all crammed into the cage and went 400 ft underground.
The tour guy was an elderly miner and he was awesome. He was enthusiastic about coal mining and his presentation could hold everybody's interest. This man was in his 70's and worked in the mine when it was operating in the winter. He was a grandfatherly type. The kids loved him as he slanted his presentation towards kids.
The mine was dark and not well lit. When they turned the lights off there was no light whatsoever.
At the end of the tour we ended up at a little rail car that hauled coal. He told the kids they could each take a piece of coal. Most kids just walked over and the first piece of coal their hand touched was the one they took.
Not my son. He looked at all the pieces of coal on the the edge. Then he got up on the side of the cart so he could see more coal. He still couldn't make a decision. I wondered if he was looking for a certain shaped piece of coal. Finally, he got me to lift him on top of the coal in the cart. He finally said, "Dad , I want this one." He had picked the biggest lump of coal on the cart. It was as big as the toilet bowl. I couldn't have lifted it if I tried. So then he made the reasonable choice he should have made at the beginning and took a small piece of coal.
Oh yes, the little white tee shirt wasn't very white anymore.
We've laughed about this situation many times.
Do you have stories about your children or yourself when you were young.
Now the white tee shirt boy never misses a post on this blog. He's the one who made my header. I wonder if he will comment?
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| The white tee shirt boy is on the left with a red tee shirt |
