So mom’s been complaining. “I want to go somewhere,” she whined yesterday after dragging me from the basement, away from my work. I think she’s feeling caged. I don’t blame her, I do too.

“Well, let’s go somewhere, then.” I suggested Bryce Canyon just because I saw something about Bryce Canyon at night on PBS the previous night.

She said, “No, we can’t go, not without your aunt.”

My aunt went back to China in February and something happened to my grandpa (her dad) recently that had forced my aunt to remain in China to take care of him. My mom had me to ask her when she would return to the U.S. and she had said not this year.

So it means our travel life is on hold. Then why does she keep asking?

Okay, I suggested an alternative. The Spiral Jetty, something I saw on PBS a few weeks ago and since then, I’ve been wanting to see it.

It’s a masterpiece created by Robert Smithson in 1970, located in the northwest corner of the Great Salt Lake, about 80 miles from home. I showed her the picture. “Look! It looks like a lollipop, doesn’t it?”

She barely glanced at the picture before asking, “What’s there to see?”

“Not much,” I answered, “it just makes a great photo and it’s beautiful.”

She scoffed, her interest immediately dissolved like usual.

She goes anywhere with such great expectations. I mean, just enjoy the view. I think it’s why she was disappointed with Canyonland National Park and refused to ever go there again. There’s not much to see, right? All those needles are boring.

Actually, there are plenty to see, just not within short walking distance nor in the car. She likes to make all these lame excuses like “If I want to hike ten miles with gear on my back, I’d join the army. Oh wait, I already did.” or “I’ve had enough hiking during basic training.”

That’s one of her problems, I think. She’s anti-recreational. She blames others for her fun.

I didn’t ask her to hike through a trail full of potholes that looked like we’re walking on the surface of the moon without the fun of zero gravity.

Nor did I ask her to take this picture of these peculiar rocks. (Actually, I think I took that picture. I can’t remember. It’s four years ago.)

I wonder why she keeps making excuses like that.

So back to my suggestion of going to see the Spiral Jetty, she wasn’t interested at all. So I said, “You don’t have to go. I can go alone.”

“Fine,” she agreed, “I can just take the other car to work and you can go.” I raised my eyebrow. Really? There’s a hint of doubt in her voice.

I’m not sure why but I felt a little embarrassed. So I returned the subject to square one. “Well, where do you want to go?” I asked again.

It’s too late, her attention had been diverted. “Nowhere,” she snapped, “now, go back to work.” And with my head lowered and my tail between my legs, I retreated back to the basement. I will just have to wait.

Daily Prompt – Isn’t Your Face Red?

Bryce Canyon and The Great Spiral Jetty images: Pinterest