Is it just me, or is the expectation of family outings so much nicer than the reality?
I am sure that when I’m in my 50s, I’m going to look back at all the photographs I have of my smiling children out on spring-time walks, or on trips to the park and I’m going to have a wonderful rosy-glow memory of outings with my offspring, delighting in every moment of their company and wonder why I didn’t do it more often.
Conveniently, I will have forgotten about the constant bickering, about the argument over the ownership of a random stick from the ground, the “my legs hurt, we’ve been walking for YEARS” whine and the realisation that they’re DESPERATE for the loo just as we’re at the furthest point away from the nearest public convenience.
I will also have failed to recall the frog-march across roads with their wrist in a death-grip hold as they’d just tried to run off into direct traffic. I will have consigned to oblivion the military operation that was needed just to step out of the front door only to return three times because they haven’t got their jumper, their shoes or a favourite toy.
I will be able to completely blank out the fact that the snapshot in question was the only 30 seconds on the entire trip where they were even vaguely happy and co-operative.
After all, this is why I take photographs. Family outings are just so much more pleasant in retrospect, especially with judicious use of Photoshop’s clone brush.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Tami // 14th Apr 2009 at 4:05 am
I love this post and can relate with everything you said! It is so true!
2 Ys // 14th Apr 2009 at 11:56 am
hehe I believe I’ve heard my parents mutter the same words… ;)
3 Kal // 14th Apr 2009 at 1:20 pm
Not wanting to pull the whole “I’m medical, don’t you know…” card, but:
“they’re DESPERATE for the loo just as we’re at the furthest point away from the nearest public convenience.”
You.
Have.
Boys.
:)
4 Pewari // 14th Apr 2009 at 1:28 pm
Kal… I know you’re an expert and all…
… but…
… he needed a poo. *sigh*
5 Jane // 14th Apr 2009 at 3:45 pm
So, um, just cut out the middle man and paste pictures of your family onto nice background scenes? You could go a lot further afield that way.
Yesterday on the plane D was desperate for the loo just as we were beginning the descent. Par for the course, but this time it turned out that he desperately wanted to go and sharpen his colouring pencils into the bin (and fortunately he revealed this plan before we risked the cabin crew’s wrath by ignoring the seatbelt sign).
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