M-I-C----K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

The setup: STEMtech conference at the Swan and Dolphin in Disney country; families from all over the world staying at the “cheapest rates this hotel has ever offered” (desk clerk); walking on the Boardwalk and around the grounds (humming “Mrs. Robinson”?); Mouse ears everywhere.
This paradise destination for so many families is moderately crowded and bustling along nicely. Families having fun, coming back from fun, going out to have fun (whatever that may be). The place is noisy in a conference-e way. Lots of conversation (none overheard) some laughter, but always in the background the signature sound heard everywhere: children crying and whining. “I wanna go - - - - and see- - - “ or “I don’t wanna go - - - - etc.” or “No” or just whining. I cannot remember being anywhere in the place where some child wasn’t crying or whining. Walking along the 7th floor hall to our room on the third hallway we passed many doors. From behind some of them? You guessed it : crying or whining. I thought “what the hell? This is supposed to be fun (Whatever that is.) These parents and children are ragged out.”
It finally struck me: When I was a kid, we went places and had fun (whatever that was) and my brother and I probably cried and whined a bit, but we had lots of time. Time. We had a cabin for a week in the mountains, or spent 3 months in the summer house, or spent weeks driving to Nebraska to spend time with family. We didn’t have to pack all our “fun” into a 3 day pass and exhaust ourselves in the process. I didn’t, not once, hear my mother or father say “Damn it, we are here to have fun and we are GOING to have fun!!!”
So, are we having fun yet?
Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73q5EX7-pIF4HVs7cVDoy3VdymU4nSHAfnU6PtnuMlEVg_1MSi44GVY6nyOcKkp-Lmi24yQRdkXdOcsoNVRCVGl4oelx7kjU8In3c3lmJLNuzSwx58y4QntyIrwkxvAThJPna47uWyd8/s400/sad_disney_mickey_mouse.jpg