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
If I lived where you do, I’d be going to Bryce Canyon as often as I could. It’s so pretty there! I hope that you can convince your mom to go. There are so many great places to go out there. Hopefully she will pick one. It’s true though, hiking will be involved no matter where you go.
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It seems like the only thing standing in the way is my aunt. I’m not sure why she only want to go only once. Maybe the only way I can go is to go alone.
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I think you should go, even if you have to go alone. Otherwise you are letting somebody hold you back from an experience that could be beneficial to you. You won’t know unless you go…
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You’re right. I should go, even if I have to go alone. I think I’m just stupidly letting little doubts and mundane fears (getting lost and out of gas etc) holding me back.
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I love this quote about fear…
No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.
By, Edmund Burke
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Reminds me of trying to get Philippa to do anything… Ah I miss the days of randomly finding something on a map and hopping in the car with a friend and just driving off.
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One of my favorite kind of adventure. 🙂
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In a way I look forward to being old and retired so I have that freedom again, plus the added bonus of being able to annoy people by pretending to be deaf *evil chuckle*
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😀
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They all look beautiful places to visit. If I lived within reach of any of them, I’d be a regular visitor. Pity your mom’s so reluctant to get out to such wonderful scenery.
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I think if I live alone, I’d probably be too. 🙂
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Interesting convo, many a times I say to plan a trip with hubby and his response would make me rethink of the options and vacation ideas. I can relate to your mom right now lol
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😀
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Sounds like she’ll never be happy. Canyonland National Park looks amazing! That’s the sort of landscape I wish we had here.
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I don’t think she was ever happy.
Yes, Canyonland National Park is an amazing breathtaking place, one which I hope to visit again.
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