By the morning their bivouac looked like this.
Three people slept in there. Three! Well, until 1am, when I am told that a slug woke up Fizz by making sucking sounds, at which point they decided to decamp to the little wooden house at the bottom of the garden. On the minus side they get spiders, but on the plus side, it's dry.
By the way, just in case Social Services are inquiring, I didn't force the children to sleep outside. You can blame a natural madness of childhood, which my grown up rationalities simply fail to curb. Reasonings like The forecast is for it to chuck down have no impact when you have a fantasy of perfection in your mind.
But from then on, I did have things my way. I imposed a three-line whip to join the Buddhists and all their chums in the field for their multi-faith peace festival. It manages to be both anarchic but culturally affirming; fringe but mainstream; bizarre yet normal. The sort of thing that could happen if you let the Pagans take over Thought for Today.
For me, the event is as essential as sleeping in the garden under a wet plastic sheet. My year turns about such moments as these.
2 comments:
You're letting your kids experience the consequences of their choices. I think that's a very good thing and makes them be responsible quicker.
I am leaning toward Buddhism myself, but in the end may turn out to be just an ordinary pagan.
i have to bite my knuckles for it though, irene. and yes, a pagan/buddhist combo would suit me well, too. xx
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