3 Unfortunate Things From Summer
Summer is a time for kids to enjoy a break from school and for families to bond on family vacations, even those that go completely wrong. The road of life is filled with bumps, and my family is prone to hit all of them. The following are just three of many unfortunate summer crapfests my family has endured together.
3 Unfortunate Summer Mishaps
A Cautionary Tale about Biking
We have tried to widen our horizons in summertime, to give the kids continued beneficial experiences while enjoying the season. On more than one occasion, we invested in new endeavors only to regret it. It’s impossible for me to even fault myself because life is very busy, and a person can’t Google everything. I’m specifically thinking of the time I got the kids and myself outfitted to ride bicycles on various trails throughout the area near our home. The only thing I wasn’t prepared for as we drove down a highway for our first big ride on a scenic trail was a height issue in a tunnel. We were lucky not to crash our vehicle as the bicycles strapped above us struck the tunnel entrance. The bikes were completely destroyed. No one was injured by the flying bicycles. We counted the incident as unfortunate and a bit lucky at the same time.
Vacations Gone Wrong
People talk about vacations like they are times of refreshing, providing people with something to look forward to and work toward. These have not been my experiences. I have many stories of vacations gone wrong, and one of the most disappointing was a beach vacation that went fully to crap.
My family and I made big plans to drive to a beach 6 hours away. We bought all kinds of beach toys for water and sand. We had our suntan lotion and new swimsuits. The things we looked forward to included:
- Jumping and swimming in crashes of the waves
- Enjoying a beach bonfire, where we would roast marshmallows
- Getting loads of sun in the breeze off the ocean
When we got to the beach town, first it rained for two full days. When the sun finally came out, we loaded ourselves with everything needed to spend an entire day at the beach. But when we got there, lo and behold, the beach was closed due to poor water quality that could cause illness. Bonfires weren’t allowed on the beach, either. Swimming in a pool was no consolation, since we had access to a pool at home. All of our hopes were flushed down the toilet.
BBQs Gone Wrong
Every year, there are approximately 8,200 home fires involving BBQs, hibachis, or grills. Our family has been a part of that statistic. While trying to get some charcoal to light more quickly, a large amount of lighter fluid was added. A match was thrown into the BBQ pit, and the result was a sizeable explosion. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Our house wasn’t so lucky. Just one more example of a mixed blessing.
Beware of Summer’s Misfortunes
Enjoy summer with your family. Some good advice is to stick with things you know about, travel to places that can’t be spoiled by pollution or rainfall, and order out for barbeque. And always remember that things can quickly turn to crap.
