There is no better way to spend a sunny summer day than sitting in front of the television playing a video game. Of course, my mom had other ideas.
“We are going camping!” she announced.
“Remind me what that is again,” I said.
“Trey,” she scolded with an eyeroll.
“Oh right, I know, “I said, “It’s what you do if you want to end up itching yourself for the rest of the summer or getting attacked by a grizzly bear.”
“You haven’t been camping since you were four,” mom countered.
“Oh, trust me, I know these things,” I replied.
But of course, she dragged me along despite my arguments. It didn’t get off to a good start. I was assigned the job of setting up the tent because everyone else said they had something better to do. But I’m pretty sure they were just itching for a comedy show. And that’s just want they got. In fact, I’m pretty sure everyone at Trickle Lake Campsite got a good laugh out of watching the one and only Trey Calhoun set up a tent.
After that we went for a hike. Mom and Dad kept pointing out plants and other stuff they saw on the side of the trail, but all I could focus on was swatting mosquitos and complaining about how it had to be at least one-hundred degrees. Meteorologist mom pointed out that the temperature was actually only eighty-five, but that didn’t matter to me. By the time we reached our campsite I had found a new thing to complain about—my sore legs. “It’s cause you’re not in shape, like me,” Cooper said. That only made me even more grumpy.
After sitting around for a while, I asked my mom when we were going home.
“Trey,” she said, “Try finding the fun in this. Your moping is ruining the trip for all of us.”
Her saying that made me feel a bit guilty. Camping didn’t have to be my favorite activity. But I should’ve at least been trying to enjoy it, because they wanted to have a good time. Once I changed my attitude, I found myself having a lot more fun. And I didn’t even get attacked by a grizzly bear!
Lillya R., 13, Minnesota
