Traveling in an Orange-colored Pickup Truck–Life Before the DVD Player
Sometimes I think it was easier back when my parents took the family on vacation. We had an orange pickup truck with a camper shell on the back–not a camper, mind you, just one of those shells that covers the bed of the truck. My parents would throw a couple of foam pads in the back, perhaps a small jug of water and a box of crackers too, and of course me and my brothers.
Then they would shut the hatch. Our camper shell had a window that allowed us to look into the cab of the truck, but it didn’t open. There was no escape. Those trips were probably the only times my parents were able to spend time together without us kids. It was kind of like a zoo on wheels actually. Mom and dad would look through the window at the five little monkeys in the back. They probably even pointed and said things like, “Aren’t they cute?” But then someone would start crying, or fighting, or puking. Mom and dad would quit looking through the window when those things happened. Who wants to watch monkeys do that?
These days we don’t have the luxury of throwing the kids in the back of a pickup or recline them in the back of a station wagon (do they even have station wagons anymore?!). Now we’ve got things like seat belts and booster seats to worry about. Now when we go on a vacation it’s not really a vacation, because the kids are still there. And I can hear them. And smell them.
Of course we do have one advantage over our parents. Today we have the miracle of the DVD player. Much like Jonas Salk and his polio vaccine, this little gadget has saved the minds and lives of countless parents. Back in the day, the thought of having a TV in your car was as far-fetched as root beer flowing from the school’s drinking fountains–fun to dream about, but we knew it would never happen. But then it did.
Yesterday my family traveled back home after a quick trip to Los Angeles. The airplane had TVs in the seats. The rental car had a DVD player. The gas station had a TV at the pump. The elevators in the hotel had videos to watch so we wouldn’t be bored on the trip up to our room. Even the grocery store had a monitor to entertain us while we waited to check out. And of course any moment that isn’t already filled with brightly colored media results in foot-stomping demands to use my iPhone. To watch YouTube. It’s enough to make you consider buying a pickup truck.
Legal Disclosure: I was not paid to discuss my family’s trips in the pickup truck. In fact, I probably should have been paid–it could help with the cost of therapy. However, I was paid large piles of cash to watch and discuss the merits of Sony’s Open Season 3 (of which there were many). Well, maybe not large piles. In fact, it wasn’t even an itsy bitsy pile. I need to raise my rates.
8 responses to “Traveling in an Orange-colored Pickup Truck–Life Before the DVD Player”
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You HAVE pictures of MONKEYS AKA your 4 brothers?? Or do you mean your two kids??
Great story.. esp the puking of course.
We had that truck in red! and I think the camper is still in my parents’ back yard somewhere (probably with generations of possums under it or something). There were 5 of us thrown in the back but we didn’t get a cooler. We did have puking, though, especially if I brought books because I tend to get car sick on long trips. 🙂
Oh my gosh you are hilarious how have I never heard of you before. Thank goodness for Emi she hooks me up with all the “cool” kids!
Yes, where would the world be without Emily? http://www.isthisreallymylife.com/
Thanks for stopping by!
Somehow people began calling our orange and white pickup “The Creamsicle”. I never really liked the nickname, but it stuck anyway. I have fodder for dozens of posts involving that old truck.
Cool. Thanks for sharing.
My dad drove us across the country in a ’79 international, with the cab on too. We put mats on top of the luggage, took turns lying in the back. Forget the tv, there wasn’t even ac. I taped my book to the ceiling of the cab and melted as I read.
Great story.
Haha, sounds like we can totally relate. Our air conditioning came in the form of small windows on the sides of the camp shell. Love the idea about taping the book to the ceiling!