So it just happened... we were on our way home from vacation. Nearly 6 hours into our 12 hour drive -- and here comes the view of a lifetime. The Smoky Mountains standing glorious out the front and side windows of our family truckster (often lovingly referred to by my chidlren as "the rolling turd"). And what is our brood doing? Watching a movie they've seen a dozen times.
We yelled back to tell them to take a peek out the window instead of at the teeny screen in front of them, but they couldn't hear us. Their heads were locked in earphones as if clamped in a (cushy) vice. It took the waving of hands -- and some screaming to get their attention. When we did, their first reaction was an unenthusiastic, "great. That's cool.". It was enough to boil blood. We did get a "Hey, that's beautiful. I"ve never seen these mountains before", which was a fantastic reaction, except that we've travelled the same road back and forth for several years.
So, what does this mean? They never noticed all this time that one of America's most well-known mountain ranges was right outside their window twice each year? Apparently. Maybe they never looked? Obviously.
Bummer.
Undaunted, my husband and I banned the DVD player for close to a (gasp) half hour and forced them to look out the window. There were more than a few groans. But somewhere in that mountain range they started seeing the clouds touching the tops of the mountains. They began to see the flowing rivers well beneath our feet. They started to truly enjoy the beauty outside their traveling livingroom.
We felt peace and joy knowing we'd made an impact on our children's lives. Emboldened. Buoyed. It was wonderful.
And then the youngest put in the "Narnia" DVD and the world blew by them, unnoticed, for another 2 and a half hours.