Dear J-
Before we had an anxiety-filled dog, I used to love the Fourth of July and all the trappings. Now, as the smell of burned gunpowder and low, distant rumbles (punctuated by sharp reports closer to home) roll in through the open windows, I can hardly wait to find the person who decreed that fireworks at 9PM was a great idea. Lots of ifs — if only there was some way to shut him down for the night, if only we could find some way to desensitize him (luckily, or perhaps unluckily, thunderstorms are a rare event around here, although Sea World does have nightly fireworks throughout the summer).
Speaking of which, after nearly eight years in San Diego, we finally went today. Unlike the other attractions we’ve been to, Sea World is relatively flat (and surprisingly compact), making it easy to flit around like we did today — we kept finding things across the park to go to next (there’s tons of shows, each seemingly timed to keep you hustling through). As we continue to provide our own stimulus package to the local attractions (how patriotic!), we end up with ready excuses — for season passes, for silly little rides, for exclaiming awe in the smallest delights.
We get to open wide and devour life with exuberance; even if the nights are filled with overlong tugs-of-war (how often / how quickly can I get my parents to come running to my room?) over sleep, even if I keep myself over-wound, bouncing between anxiety-filled dog and daughter tonight, I have to remind myself that it only lasts a few hours at the outside. It’s a tiny investment in fun the rest of the day, so there’s no reason to fret; as the one with the supposedly long view, I should be able to see the pot of gold doesn’t lie at the end of the rainbow — it’s all around us already.
Mike
Tags: san diego, life, sea lion, sea world, attractions, exuberance
