For as long as I can remember, I’ve been easily entertained. I guesstimate that this is 95% due to my highly analytical nature and 5% due to my dad’s ability to hype up the most mundane things. From a financial perspective, I can’t say that I blame him; if I were a parent, I would probably go to great lengths to convince my kids that inexpensive past times are better than expensive ones. Here are a few examples of things my siblings and I seemed to believe as kids:
- stuffing pillows under your shirt and slamming into your sibling at full throttle > bumper cars
- running through the sprinkler in the backyard > going to the pool
- sitting on your sibling’s back and yelling “giddy up!” > riding an actual horse
The same rule applied to toys. Forget the chemistry set. We were content making “really cool volcanos” outside with some vinegar, baking soda and a huge pile of dirt. Better yet, take us to the hardware store, buy us each a $.49 dowel rod, call them “swords” and let us fight to the [near] death.*
Now, imagine my complete lack of surprise when I came across the following photo:
Me and my very favorite rock.
This is me at age 4 posing with a rock. Yes, a rock. Here’s how I imagine the conversation leading up to the holding of the great rock went:
Dad: “Carly, are you having a good time on our hike?”
CC: “Eh, it’s okay I guess.”
Dad: “You don’t sound very happy. Maybe it’s because your sweatpants are so high-wasted?”
CC: “Dad, don’t be silly. I’m 4. I’m unhappy because there aren’t any fun toys out here.”
Dad: “Oh…well…that’s just because you haven’t played with one of these cool rocks before.”
CC: “A rock?? Who do I look like?? Mowgli?? I have more sophisticated toy tastes than that.”
Dad: “But this isn’t any ordinary rock, it’s a genuine mountain rock!”
CC: “Keep talking…”
Dad: “This rock is extra special. You can do all kinds of things with it! You can throw it, roll it, stare at it. You can even pretend it’s an animal and pet it!”
CC: “Give it!”
And there you have it. I didn’t just hold the rock, I was proud of the rock. I loved the rock.
Now, take a gander at the following picture I just found. This is me and my dad in Aruba about 10 years ago. He asked me to hold a rock. Just like old times. I wasn’t quite as enthused this time around.
Still rockin'
*As the youngest and meekest child, this was a truly terrifying experience for me.
Your dad should sue the guy that marketed pet rocks. then he could buy you all the toys you missed out on – shrinky dinks and lite brite!
I totally missed out on shrinky dinks! How did you know that?? Luckily I didn’t know I was missing out though because I just heard about these about 6 months ago. I missed out on Lite Brite too. Trust me, I knew I was missing out on that.
I am definitely introducing my children to the wonders of genuine mountain rocks on our next hike. Your dad is a genius!
I think if you add the term “genuine” to anything, it sounds a lot better. My dad just informed me that the rock had gold in it, so apparently it really was special.
I have more pictures of rocks than I do people, and if there are people in the pictures of my rocks…they’re only for scale! I guess that’s when you know you’re a geologist…LOL!
You’re allowed to have lots of rock pictures with your job. I just want to know if they’re “genuine mountain rocks” or regular ol’ rocks.
You forgot to mention the forts we used to create and sleep in by tipping over the wicker chairs. Or the slide we created by letting one end of the mattress of the top bunk fall through the slats to the lower bunk. Or how about how we used to crawl through the dog door for fun…
Oh my gosh, it’s so funny you mentioned all of these. I thought of every one of them. I even typed up the fort one and then ended up taking it out since that was all our idea (same with the sliding down the bunkbed). Crawling through the dog door was strictly for convenience, not fun.
that is sooo cute. Good times. lol
I’m glad you liked it!
I used to tape record album covers to my feet and “skate” around on the carpeting.
You and your rock look very cute together.
Oh I like that! Very creative. Reminds me of every time I’ve ever slipped on a piece of paper sitting on the floor and nearly cracked my head open.
Still rockin’ = awesome.
Thanks
Both pictures are priceless. God, things were so simple back then!
Yeah, kids and their fancy schmancy toys these days. Spoiled things.
I laugh every time I look at the first picture. I’ve never seen anyone look so content doing anything so uninteresting.
Fabulous post! I had an old mattress and a (small) flight of stairs = awesome Roller Coaster!
Actually, come to think of it, that was kind of dangerous… Will call parents immediately to discuss.
Thanks! We didn’t have stairs, but I remember trying to get my friends to do that at their houses.
I’m often amazed that I’m still alive given the bizarre and highly dangerous things I did as a kid. The funny thing is that I was so timid that my dad was usually the one convincing me to do those things.
You make me look so uncreative!
However, I was looking for that rock, it was found when we were at Hatchers Pass, and it was laced with gold. You should have kept it.
You did ride snow machines out to camp in the winter, (or snow mobiles for those from the “lower 48″), raft the Gulkana for 35 miles, caught grayling and mosquitos. It was the only time I ever saw a fish jump out of the water to take a lure hanging in midair. Not sure how you did that.
Were you too young to stay over night in the tree stand while bear hunting? If you got left out, sorry about that one. Your siblings enjoyed it.
And you were allowed to jump off the shed into the snow, sled down the NO SLEDDING Hill, (that didn’t work out too well for your brother when the snow plow left a 5 foot drop. Ouch. What was he thinking.
You and 5 others rode on the giant intertube into camp, being pulled by the snow machine. Though that didn’t go as well as expected when you hit the snow bank. Your hair collected a LOT of snow. It didn’t seem as funny to you as everyone else.
The neighborhood feral cat slept in your room. But you didn’t take an interest in playing with guns all that much.
And best of all, when bears came into camp, you thought the other kids were overreacting when they got all scared and cried…
But, you never camped out at -20 degrees…sorry you missed out on that one…
Whoa! SPOILER ALERT to anyone planning on reading my blog going forward! You’ve divulged a number of my future blog post topics. I guess you could call it a teaser instead.
I remember all of these things quite well. Luckily, you and mom took pictures of most of these events.
I would have kept the rock if I knew it contained gold! I could’ve paid part of my college with it, assuming the tuition office accepted rocks.
Yes, I slept in the bear stand. It’s where I developed my deep fear/hatred of bears. I was lying when I said I wasn’t scared about the bears coming into camp. I was terrified.
I’m kind of surprised I’m still alive after remembering all of my childhood adventures. At the very least, I’m surprised I didn’t have more injuries. It also makes me sad for all the kids that sit around and do nothing.
Grumpy or not, I think it’s sweet that you posed for the picture a second time.
You know what’s funny? When he asked me to pose with the rock the second time, it had nothing to do with the first rock pose from so many years ago. I just happened to notice the similar theme when going through family photos.
Thanks for checking out my blog!
This is awesome!! We didn’t get a lot of fancy toys either when I was growing up. I remember tying my jumprope to the handle bars of my bike and trying to convince myself that it was a pony (full disclosure: it was a destrier, because the wooden sword my dad made me meant that I was the first female knight of the Round Table).
HAHA!! This made me laugh so hard. I hope you made horse sounds to make it seem more real.
This made my day. So funny! Your smile was so cute and innocent.=)
Oh I’m so glad you liked it!
I think the innocence is part of what made me like this picture so much. I had no idea I was holding something so boring or wearing such unflattering clothes. Ah, childhood…
Those pictures and rock conversation were the best!
Thanks Angie! I consider that a great compliment from you, the master funny-childhood-writer.
Luckily I have a lot more photos and funny childhood stories to tell. Thanks goodness for parents who took lots of pictures at the most awkward times.
Your Dad Rocks.
Awesome. Just awesome.
Once my daughter found a rock on the beach and decided it was a camera. She ran around taking photos with her rock. Stranger walked past thinking “why is that poor girl constantly pushing a rock into her face? What on earth are her parents teaching her?” I just smiled in a slightly silly way, and kept walking.
CC – this post – and you – rock. Really.
Your post is great, makes me long for “the good old days” of drawing houses in the sand, and making tin-can-walkers (oil cans with string attached were held in each hand as you walked on the cans – a real coordination challenge).
Thanks Willie! I’m glad you liked it!