Are We There Yet?
Summer's here!
Summer's here!
Time to take a trip.
Pile all the family in the car.
"Are we there yet?"
"Don't start asking that already!
We haven't even gone very far!"
"Mom, he's looking at me!"
"He looked at me first!"
"Would you two please try to get along?"
"We're bored! What can we do?"
"Play the alphabet game or twenty questions,
or maybe you can sing a song."
I'm not sure who first thought
that family vacations were a good idea.
"Hey, let's drive for hours together in a cramped space."
It doesn't take long
until we get on each other's nerves,
and in each other's face.
I guess it never occurred to us
that contempt
is bred by familiarity.
After this vacation,
maybe next summer,
we'll plan to get away together...separately!
"Are we there yet?"
"Don't start asking that already!
We haven't even gone very far!"
"Mom, he's looking at me!"
"He looked at me first!"
"Would you two please try to get along?"
"We're bored! What can we do?"
"Play the alphabet game or twenty questions,
or maybe you can sing a song."
I'm not sure who first thought
that family vacations were a good idea.
"Hey, let's drive for hours together in a cramped space."
It doesn't take long
until we get on each other's nerves,
and in each other's face.
I guess it never occurred to us
that contempt
is bred by familiarity.
After this vacation,
maybe next summer,
we'll plan to get away together...separately!
For anyone wondering, I wrote this as a humor piece. My sons are old enough now that it has been a long time since they squabbled with each other in the car on a family trip. I love family trips with all of us together now and wish we could have more of them. :)
ReplyDeleteoh yes, I can remember when my parents would pile Larry, Karen and me in the car to drive to Florida in a car with NO A/C!!! I was always car sick and they would give me Dramamine and I would sleep the whole way!! lol
ReplyDeleteHeh heh! Brings back memories of when I was little. However, when I had my own kids and they reached the bickering stage, we got a pickup truck with a camper cap and they rode back there!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, the joy of travel! Nice writing (and take the train).
ReplyDeleteHaha... I totally know what you mean Connie, I don't travel for vacations but I totally remember this when I was a child growing up... my 3 sisters and I in the back seat singing, playing word games, getting each others nerves... I don't know how my family handled it... thanks for the laugh and have a great weekend xox
ReplyDeletefunny and too true. And back in the day, we fought over who got to stand on the hump in the back. Forget seat belts. Nifty poem and it made me think of heading "down the shore" - loved when we crossed into Ocean City NJ. Summer!!!
ReplyDeleteYou know, you could turn this into a children's book. I can visualize the illustrations. Been there, done that!
ReplyDeleteSo true. I remember those trips very well and like you mine is grown and I miss them now. Great Poem Connie.
ReplyDeleteCute, and sure "tells it like it is!"
ReplyDeletereminds me of my long ago days with four boys in the car and my niece when we would take them up the coast for a family vacation - or other places. The bickering..oh wow..so irritating at times, ha. Now it would be fun. Love the poem Connie - another one that everyone can relate to.
ReplyDeleteHA! I think everyone who had kids can relate to this poem. Then again, those of us WERE kids can, too. :) We weren't satisfied just packing our kids in the car to go on vacation... we let each of them bring a friend, too. Talk about gluttons for punishment.
ReplyDeleteI must admit, me and my sister were guilty of this as children...we drove our parents crazy on long drives LOL
ReplyDeletehahaha. Sounds familiar. Great poem Connie. I love how you take the everyday and turn them into little bite size takeaways.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, this made me think of the trips in my dad's station wagon. We three kids took turns getting a shot in the back...this was way before seat belts. I always got car sick and still do to this day. Love your poetry, you are very good at this.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your sweet comment tonight. I am sleeping better...thank you. The flowers are red cone flowers and in late summer they attract goldfinches!
ReplyDeleteI'm giggling, with warmhearted sentiment, as I recall the long trips for fun-filled family vacations. Actually, us kids love it. I can't imagine the parents did too. My dad was adventurous, and my mom was patient. So you've made me realize they were probably the perfect combo to take four youngins on a family vacay. Thanks, Connie. You captured the spirit perfectly.
ReplyDeleteSummer is everything and so much more. Warm greetings and best wishes!
ReplyDeleteIt works the same way when 2 adults travel, Connie.
ReplyDeleteNow that will sound familiar to many ...
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
LOL!!! This brought back some memories of vacas past. LJ
ReplyDeleteThanks, everyone, for your kind comments. This seems to have stirred up memories for everyone of summertime fun. Vacations are great, but traveling to the vacation spot can be frustrating at times. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome .you look beautiful :)
ReplyDeletehttp://shilpachandrasekheran.blogspot.ae/?m=1