After more than 15 years doing the same job, you would expect things to get a little repetitive - and sometimes they do. But over the years, I've counted myself lucky to have been able to explore our region each summer.
Sure, some weekends it is nice not to have any events to attend. But, I've definitely attended a lot of events that I otherwise would have never known about or attended, simply because of my job. When my kids were toddlers and elementary-aged, they would often tag along with me - especially if there was a parade or petting zoo involved.
Just last week, my now-11-year-old son was flipping through some printed photos from a few of these events. He laughed at how little he looked, and recalled some of the events that were pictured. It made me realize that, first of all, it is still important to actually print photos and not just let them sit on some sort of technology that is soon to be outdated, and second, that while my kids may not have travelled much beyond our province, they've certainly explored our region.
We've been to a few well-known events plenty of times - such as Haying in the 30's. And we've gone to powwows together, attended plenty of parades, hung out at Canada Day celebrations, been to barbecues and countless fundraisers. So, when that same chatty 11-year-old was recently asking me questions about demolition derbies, it made me realize that there was still an event we had yet to attend.
Somehow, throughout the years, I had never been scheduled or tasked myself to make the drive out to Glendon to take in an event that I had long heard about. It seemed like someone else was always able to do it. So when I mentioned to my son that we could in fact experience a demolition derby just down the highway, he seemed eager to tag along.
Of course, as my kids get older, it's getting much more tricky to convince them to hang out with me at various events. Petting zoos and bouncing houses don't seem to have the same appeal when your kids are 11 and 15 years old. But, it appears that vehicles smashing into each other does appeal to the 11 to 15-year old-age bracket, and they both jumped in for the ride.
Like most events I attend for the first time, I wasn't really sure what the expect. I simply made sure I had the basic details figured out. And I will admit, I was surprised by how well attended this event is - even in +28C weather. When the derby itself began, I think it satisfied my son's curiosity, and he enjoyed the time we spent together.
While many people opt to leave the area for summer holidays and packing a bag to head to the mountains or off on a far away adventure has its perks, I think it's worth remembering that there is plenty of exploring to do in our own backyards. This past weekend made me realize that even after more than 15 years of covering local events, there are still a few adventures to be had.
