Two Things I Learned in Miami

After ten years, my in-laws have finally prevailed, and I find myself in Miami Beach with some of my kids. The older two still have school, until after their annual production, at which point they'll come down here on their own to visit their grandparents.

I took the kids to the beach on Friday morning. The only time these kids have ever really been to the ocean is when we go to the Brooklyn Aquarium, and stop on the boardwalk for a few minutes to see the water. Oh, and when we went to ocean City,NJ we ate lunch on a pier, but that's about as close as they've gotten. So that was really cool. My nine year old informed me, that as much as she enjoys our yearly summer trips to the local lake, an ocean is really so much better. Now, I know, but that's not one of the two things I've learned here.

First, if a person is feeding seagulls on the beach, even 300 feet away from you, you better bend down really low, because those birds, not called the "pigeons of the sea" for nothing, will come from all over, flying low and fast. Think of a kiddush in which they finally bring out the chulent, and you are in the path of twenty young males. It's scary, they don't stop, and if you don't get out of the way, you may end up with a face full of feathers (I'm back to the birds).

Second, I'm sure most of you have heard of the Greek myth involving the King Sisyphus, and his punishment for offending Zeus. He spends eternity rolling a boulder up a hill, only to watch it fall back to the bottom, and start over. The term Sisyphean task has come to mean an endless and unavailing task.

Well, after watching my six years old attempt something for about five minutes, but what seemed like an eternity, I think the Greek gods got it wrong. They should have punished Sisyphus by putting him on a sandy beach, given him flip flops or crocs, and told him to clean the sand off his feet and get them back in the footwear, while keeping both feet and footwear sand- free.

Needles to say this is impossible, but she is one determined young lady.

So here's to warm weather, and stuff you can learn on the beach.