Saturday, July 31, 2004
Burn
When we were kids, Dad would take us to a remote and uncrowded beach about 25 miles from home. Days of splashing in the cool waters of Lake Ontario and playing bocce or baseball in the fields near the shore. Before sunblock and before sundown, we would all be red and burning from our home star's merciless rays. I remember trying not to stick to the back seat of the car. I remember the wind in my face as Dad would drive home and the feeling of anti-relief as the car slowed and we pulled into the driveway and the burn felt even worse than it did before we pulled onto the expressway home. Mom would rub cream on us, and we would get tucked into fresh sheets.
Did I get childhood revisited upon me yesterday. Brittany and I went to Oceans of Fun. I don't know what's made me more sore: the sunburn or the aches from six-plus hours of water slides, wave pools, and climbing stairs to gain potential energy.
Anyway, the sheets sure felt good last night. But I couldn't decide if I felt more like a kid or an old guy.
