Michigan, on Paradise Lake. It was a 4.5 hour trip from home, and we were
always both anxious to get to the cottage, me to relax, Scott to play with
his friends that he had met over the years.
One of the fun things for Scott was the outdoor toy closet that they had at
the resort. It was always the first place that Scott want to head for upon
arrival. I had a rule that he had to be totally unpacked, with his clothes
neatly put away in his bedroom before I would release him to the wonders of
the closet. One year he followed the rules, unpacked and put his clothes
away, and raced out the door heading for the toy closet. He threw open the
door and a wasp flew out of the closet and stung him directly between the
eyes. We had been there ten minutes and the swelling from the bee sting had
almost closed both of his eyes. After a trip to the Hospital, where we
learned that he wasn't allergic to bee stings, we tried to make the best of
the situation.
One of the side trips that we always went on while in Northern Michigan was
to Mackinac Island. During this trip, with his forehead and face still
swollen, we left aboard the ferry for the island. After a long, active day
on the island we boarded the boat for the trip back to the mainland. I was
hot, tired and ready to relax, however, Scott was still raring to go,
bounding back and forth, taking in the views from both sides of the boat.
He was beginning to irritate me, and I'm sure our fellow passengers, when in
my stern, parenting voice, I demanded that he stop running around and come
over and sit next to me. With a mock look of terror, a golf ball sized knot
on his forehead, and both eyes near swollen shut, he turned to me and in
front of a boat load of families said "Ok Dad, I'll be right there, please
don't beat me again.." I felt like jumping overboard, and there were many
near me that looked like they wanted to throw me overboard!
Scott has always been a smart aleck, and we have many memories to look back
on and laugh about!
-Keith Putman
