The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

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January 6, 2010

Jane Drummond: Parents go to great lengths in creating memories

As parents we have a need to make sure our children grow up with some great memories. I have seen parents (including myself) go to great lengths to ensure their kids have wonderful moments in life.

Often these events are awesome. I can’t say I regret anything about taking my kids to Disney or the beach. But I have had some experiences that didn’t pan out so well.

I love Paul’s story about taking his two kids, at the time ages five and eight, on a train ride through northwest Arkansas. Paul works for the railroad and he figured what little kids wouldn’t like to ride a train?

I think the kids thought they were going on the train at Silver Dollar City because they were angels for the first 10 minutes, then when they figured out they were on a scenic trip and nobody was going to pull the train over and rob it the fun drained right out for everybody.

When Paul describes that trip he still gets a pained look as the kids begged to get off and acted horribly, fighting and complaining the whole time. I am pretty sure it wasn’t the memory he was looking to make.

I think often, like Paul, we think we have to do something big to make a memory. I remember a day this summer we will all remember, and memories were made.

It was a hot summer day and my daughter, Allison, and Paul and his kids, Allie and Aaron, went fishing along with Paul’s sister Leslie, her little grandson Trent and our little neighbor boy Bradley.

We went up to the pond at Briarbrook and the kids just fished. Granted, the fish were biting, and everyone was just enjoying being out.

That’s when Paul’s Allie got a wild hair and decided to try to catch a duck. The odds of her being able to repeat her experience are probably about 100,000 to 1, but Allie cast her line towards a duck in the water, and actually caught the duck.

In her panic she set the hook and the duck (rest assured it was not injured at all) went crazy. Leslie and I exchanged a look that said, “Oh, crap,” and Paul marched towards Allie and the duck with the enthusiasm of going off to his own execution. He knew I wasn’t about to help him because I am terrified of anything with feathers.

Paul bent over the crazed duck and, as if he were the duck whisperer, his feathered friend seemed to know he was there to help. Within a few minutes he got the tangled line loose, and the duck swam back out to her duck friends as if nothing had happened.

We couldn’t be mad at Allie for snagging the duck, because we could tell by the horror on her face that was the last thing the kid had actually anticipated she was going to do.

After Paul and the duck and catching lots of fish Bradley, my favorite neighbor boy, looked up at me and said, “Miss Jane, this has been the best, most fun day of my whole life.”

I’m glad he felt that in his 7 years of life this day topped all others. Here’s the crazy thing: The same words came out of little 4 year old Trent’s mouth too, as he also professed that day to be the best day ever too.

It reminded me of that credit card commercial. For us it would go, ”Plastic worms, 89 cents. Gas to drive to the pond, 22 cents. Making a memory of fishing and saving ducks, priceless.”

A few weeks ago Bradley was over and he asked when we could go fishing again. I know it made quite an impression on him because he was still talking about it.

He also got a hermit crab a few weeks after the fishing experience. Bradley named the crab Paul. I guess in kid’s eyes if you help them fish and you save ducks in trouble you are a hero and you should have a crab named after you.

I hope that when little Trent and Bradley and Paul and my kids look back on great days, that one stands out as a lasting, simple memory.

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