Summer Vacations

"I want to go away for the summer," my college age son said the other day. "Not to the mountains, and not to the lake, but the ocean." The ocean is his choice by thoughtful deliberation. The mountains require hiking and that is work. The lake means paddling, swimming, and skiing, and that is harder work. But the ocean is lounging on the beach and that is pure play.

My son, I will call him "Will" for everyone needs a name and "Will" suits him well, is home from his first year of college. After a couple of weeks of looking for summer work, he found not one, but two jobs. He works afternoons at The Old Mill Tasty Shop dishing out milk shakes and sodas to nostalgic visitors, casual shoppers, and businessmen, who all frequent The Old Mill for it ambiance and good food. Will, then turns around and goes to Picasso's Pizza to create dazzling pizza platters for aficionados of really "gooood" pizza. Will works hard. For the first time in his life, he earns real money, experiences what it is like to get up every day and go to work. It is an eye opener. Welcome to the real world.

I suppose that is why it is not surprising that he would say, "I want to go to the beach for the summer." We all need a break from hard work.