Part of what our Church’s youth program tries to do is develop leadership in the kids. They meet on most Tuesday nights, and this year they asked each kid to plan two activities. I checked in with one of our leaders, Craig, to confirm activities were to happen Tuesday night, and we had this exchange.
Craig: Yes, tell Graham to bring his two Tuesday night activities all planned out. All the boys are responsible for running an evening from start to finish. Must be either spiritual or physical or social or intellectual. If an outside activity, plan a backup in case it rains.
Me: Will do. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with. I’m not sure that 90 minutes of eating pizza should count.
Craig: Well it’s social with some trivia thrown in hahaha
Me: I’m sure he would it have it be competitive eating
Craig: Very true
I had to work late last evening, so I asked Lauren to follow up with Graham on his planning, though I didn’t feel terribly optimistic. I finished work in just enough time to drive with both of them to the Church, but we were having various school committee issues, so we spent the car ride talking about that. When Graham finished the activity, he got back in the car, and we had this conversation.
Me: How was the activity?
Graham: Good [Note to readers: everything is always “good.”]
Me: Did you have two activities prepared?
Graham: Yeah
Me: What were they?
Graham: One is riding bikes in the summer at Myles Standish State Park.
Me: Okay, not bad. And the other?
Graham: Making hot chocolate around Christmas. Like how to make homemade hot chocolate.
Me: Sounds like the pizza activity
Graham: Huh?
Me: I told Craig one of your activity ideas would probably be eating pizza for ninety minutes.
Graham: Oh. That would be good too.
Me: So you’re supposed to have a backup plan in case there is rain. What’s your backup plan for biking?
Graham: Nothing
Me: Dude, if it’s raining, you have to have something.
Graham: How about suck it up and tough it out? It’s just rain.
Me: Well, it could also be thunder and lightning.
Graham: Then just go under a tree.
Me: That’s what not to do.
Graham: I don’t know, Dad. We’re gonna ride bikes.
Me: I’d be surprised if there’s not, like, eight straight weeks of bike riding scheduled during the summer. What with all the imagination you all show.
Graham: I don’t know. My idea was bikes.
If I have to write about a tragic lightning strike in this blog this summer, you’ll know why. It was all Graham’s fault.
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