Electronic warfare on the open seas (+ pics)

Raise your hand if you have teenagers who snarl at the slightest provocation and who are constantly, incessantly listening to music or playing games on their iPods or Touches. In a fit of insight Ladan and I actually connected the two behaviors and didn't let the kids take any electronics with them on our boat trip. It's an understatement to say that this did not go over well but after the initial detox we actually had our kids back. When we were bored on the boat we had only a few choices: read, snorkel, hold a conversation for 30 seconds or more or swim ashore and hike around.

Look ma, no earphones! Call it parental pride but it's
easy to imagine real thoughts going through his mind.

I know I sound pretty old and curmudgeon-like by now but I actually think I saw some neurons stirring in their developing minds. I know for a fact that we didn't have the vacant "I-have-my-ear-buds-in" stare nor did we have the endless loop conversations where they claim to be listening except that they can't remember that we had the same conversation less than 30 minutes before. I'm sure they could make the same claims since I wasn't checking my Blackberry every few minutes either.

Hey everyone, a book!

What a pleasure it was to have so much time on our hands and so few distractions that we enthusiastically embraced a few of the classics and even a little of the WWI history the kids are studying in class.

(I have a hunch there will be a rebuttal so stay tuned.)