When they were kids, Ryan and Erica had always talked about having a house together. As they got older, and their friend group expanded, they thought how nice it would be if they could all own a lake house together.
"It'd be like a non-scammy time share!" Ryan exclaimed during one of the group's goofy brainstorming sessions.
"We could all bring our families so that are families get close and our kids become friends with each other," Erica added. "The group could have a generation 2.0!"
They had never expected these idle chats with high school friends would grow into solid plans. Some people fell out, but in the end there were six people who were really committed: Ryan and Erica, of course, but their middle school friend Brendan remained sold on the plan, and their high school friends Liam,Calvin, and Mark also loved the idea.
In college, the group began to set just a little aside for the lake house. It started out as a joke, whenever they felt the need to chide each other for bad behavior, people would have to put change in the lake house jar.
It took a long time, but eventually the group did buy a lake house. It wasn't perfect, but it had a beautiful view of the lake with crisp pine trees. There was also a large living room that could fit a fair few sleeping bags on the floor and, by this time, most of the group had kids so they knew they'd need that space on the one week a year they all shared the lake house.
The first week that they all took their families there was chaotic. There was a lot of running around and screaming and complaining, but the group was determined. They spent time at the lake and everyone grew to love it. They also decided that every good vacation needs to have not just fun, but games.
Of course, they started with the typical ones. There were contests for holding your breath, water balloon fights, and Marco Polo. But one night, after the kids were asleep, the adults decided over a few beers that they needed their own competition. As they drank more beers, they noticed the tricycles that Erica had brought for her kids to play with on the trip. They decided that this was perfect.
That night, after a few more beers, they held the first annual adult tricycle race. There was some debate about whether that name made it sound too crude, but the kids wouldn't get that into their heads as an idea for years (it embarrassed them greatly when they found out, but by then they were embarrassed by pretty much everything their parents did).
Two at a time, the adults would line up and try to race from one end of the driveway to another (after a few years, they moved this to a parking lot at a nearby beach). One of the other adults (whoever was the most sober of the not-racing adults) would time them. This would repeat until all participants (originally it was just the original six, but eventually all of the spouses were dragged in so it bloomed into twelve) had run the course. Then, the finally two would square off to win the ultimate prize, the first pick of weekends at the lake house in the next year.
It never did occur to them to buy more tricycles. They didn't even get new ones until Brendan broke the front wheel of one during a race and toppled over it (his daughter proudly caught this moment on her iPhone). They decided both had to be replaced because it would be unfair otherwise. However, the not broken one was spray-painted gold by Liam's sons (who were the first to get over their embarrassment) and it was decreed to be the trophy for the winner of the annual adult tricycle race.
In the end, the group of friends got what they'd wanted: a lake house that bonded their families together, and was less-scammy time share.
(Prompt by Elena Westbrook)
"It'd be like a non-scammy time share!" Ryan exclaimed during one of the group's goofy brainstorming sessions.
"We could all bring our families so that are families get close and our kids become friends with each other," Erica added. "The group could have a generation 2.0!"
They had never expected these idle chats with high school friends would grow into solid plans. Some people fell out, but in the end there were six people who were really committed: Ryan and Erica, of course, but their middle school friend Brendan remained sold on the plan, and their high school friends Liam,Calvin, and Mark also loved the idea.
In college, the group began to set just a little aside for the lake house. It started out as a joke, whenever they felt the need to chide each other for bad behavior, people would have to put change in the lake house jar.
It took a long time, but eventually the group did buy a lake house. It wasn't perfect, but it had a beautiful view of the lake with crisp pine trees. There was also a large living room that could fit a fair few sleeping bags on the floor and, by this time, most of the group had kids so they knew they'd need that space on the one week a year they all shared the lake house.
The first week that they all took their families there was chaotic. There was a lot of running around and screaming and complaining, but the group was determined. They spent time at the lake and everyone grew to love it. They also decided that every good vacation needs to have not just fun, but games.
Of course, they started with the typical ones. There were contests for holding your breath, water balloon fights, and Marco Polo. But one night, after the kids were asleep, the adults decided over a few beers that they needed their own competition. As they drank more beers, they noticed the tricycles that Erica had brought for her kids to play with on the trip. They decided that this was perfect.
That night, after a few more beers, they held the first annual adult tricycle race. There was some debate about whether that name made it sound too crude, but the kids wouldn't get that into their heads as an idea for years (it embarrassed them greatly when they found out, but by then they were embarrassed by pretty much everything their parents did).
Two at a time, the adults would line up and try to race from one end of the driveway to another (after a few years, they moved this to a parking lot at a nearby beach). One of the other adults (whoever was the most sober of the not-racing adults) would time them. This would repeat until all participants (originally it was just the original six, but eventually all of the spouses were dragged in so it bloomed into twelve) had run the course. Then, the finally two would square off to win the ultimate prize, the first pick of weekends at the lake house in the next year.
It never did occur to them to buy more tricycles. They didn't even get new ones until Brendan broke the front wheel of one during a race and toppled over it (his daughter proudly caught this moment on her iPhone). They decided both had to be replaced because it would be unfair otherwise. However, the not broken one was spray-painted gold by Liam's sons (who were the first to get over their embarrassment) and it was decreed to be the trophy for the winner of the annual adult tricycle race.
In the end, the group of friends got what they'd wanted: a lake house that bonded their families together, and was less-scammy time share.
(Prompt by Elena Westbrook)
'No, not one soul will perish
ReplyDeletewho puts their trust in Me'
-Jesus