Sedona is a sleepy little town in Central Arizona that is in the middle of an identity crisis. Is it a mountain biking Mecca? Or a Jeeper’s paradise? It’s a world class desert hiking destination dotted with green golf courses. Spiritual individuals flock to the town’s red rocks to bathe in the healing power of the area’s many vortices. What used to be a quiet and naturally beautiful retirement enclave is currently a battleground for tourism dollars. A drive through town reveals recent growth and its corresponding traffic.
I’ve been visiting Sedona since my toddler days. My paternal grandparents retired to the quiet town from Southern California in the 1970s and would take as much of me as they could get. I remember riding in my grandfather’s air conditioned and electric window equipped mid-80s navy blue Buick as we passed towns with names like Needles and Kingman. I was hopping on planes and trains by myself as a pre-teen to spend a couple summer time weeks with my grandparents in Sedona. My fondness of the town and its surrounding area is due in no small part to the mind-blowing solo interstate adventures of 8-12 year old me. The natural beauty and quality of the trails are draws for even the faintest outdoorsy type. The peace and overwhelming calm I feel as the sun goes down and the area shuts down always validates my choice to visit.
Remember when your kids just wanted to please you? Back when their whole being revolved around making you proud? I can remember and it doesn’t feel like it was that long ago but those days are gone. Family trips are tricky business now. What pleases and excites half of us may not be an ideal vacation for the other half. Sometimes that line is split along gender lines. Other vacation options appeal to the licensed drivers of my home team but the high school freshman is a hard no. It’s not that I allow a 14 year old dictate my holiday destinations but I try to make everyone happy when we embark on a road trip or hop on a plane. Sedona has something for everyone in my tribe and we all wonder at the area’s natural beauty.
It was on a recent Sedona trip when I paused to ponder what we were doing. We were on a fairly lengthy hike and the youngest among us was running ahead and acting like an outdoor action photog. Climbing trees, laying down in culverts, whatever it took to get “the shot.” We were all cracking up! It was after one of these moments as he was running ahead of us on the trail when one of those instantly reflective moments hit me. This experience won’t ever be repeated. This shared time together was ours and ours alone. These laughs and the precious time that we carved out of what is fast becoming 4 adult sized schedules are ours. We made this trip happen. It seems we always feel like that now. There are multiple reasons not to take some time today. Work will be there when we get back and so what if it isn’t? I was looking for a job when I found the one I have. Schools will always be there to retake a class but our time with our often unappreciative offspring is fleeting.
Our kids think like we did when we were young. Adults are in full control of their lives and know exactly what’s going to happen. They make all the right moves and never make mistakes. Adults never feel the embarrassment of a terrible choice or disappointment’s lasting sting. Adults can’t understand kids.
Our kids don’t understand that adults are just like them. We’re all just bouncing around the universe like a pinball trying to stay higher up in the game. The game is tilted against us and it’s all we can do to avoid falling down into the gutter between the two flippers. And that’s why we keep giving them everything we can. One day they will appreciate it that much more. When that day arrives is different for everyone but I know what I’m going to ask for from my newly appreciative 20something gainfully employed children. How about a nice meal and some pregame action downtown? I’ll be leaving my wallet at home.
