Kentucky Dam, near Land Between the Lakes, was our first campsite. It was the week of July 4th and, as you can imagine, the place was packed. We had spent too long in Paducah seeing the National Quilt Museum and touring the RiverWalk and we were late checking in. The sun was still shining but evening was coming on when we finally found the campground. Hot and muggy and just worn down to a nub, we jumped into our suits and went for a swim down in the lake. Lots of families were there with teenagers and toddlers alike splashing and playing games of keep away and dunk-your-cousin. The beach closed at 7 so our swim was just a short, refreshing dip.
Back at camp, we showered, fixed supper and put up our tent. Night was falling by then and we took a short hike through the campground to see what was happening. Since it was near a holiday the place was very crowded. Friends and family had adjoining places in the camp and everyone had dinner grilling or a fire blazing ready to roast hot dogs and make some mores. Perfect memory making time.
Walking back in the dark I noticed one family group gathered around a campfire and talking. You could tell by the cadence of their voices that stories were being shared and everyone was involved. Each face was bathed in mellow firelight. Their smiles proved that this was a time of closeness for them. In this family circle one little boy stood out. He had his tablet on and his face was bathed, not in yellow, but in cool, gray-blue. His eyes were fastened not on his family, but on the images that moved around on that little electronic screen. As I walked back to my tent I thought, "What a shame. That boy is missing out on something that he will never be able to experience again." And I shivered, thinking, that perhaps we are seeing the end of family times and sharing as we once knew it. What a loss that would be. Hopefully that boy will put down his tablet or phone and join in the stories and sharing before it is too late.
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