The "Hobby" Story

It was an ordinary day. We were staying near Rehobeth Beach, Delaware with the family and ready to have a good time. The “We” is my wife Carol and I and our three kids Derek, Brynn and Tad. We were staying at a home in a campground type community which we had rented from a fellow teacher’s mother. Now......... some other information is needed for this story. For years before this I had helped my son Tad with a collection of insects, butterflies and moths. We had built cases to keep them in and displayed them with identification for others to see. Fun hobby. I’m not sure who had the most fun, Tad or myself. We would usually catch them with a butterfly net that another teacher at school had given me and then either put them in a jar with a chemical in it or place them in the freezer. We would attach them in the case with a pin or two. Well, we would find them anywhere. In the back yard, in neighbor’s yards, on the school playground, on VACATION........OK now back to the story. After unpacking, we needed to get some supplies for the week to come so went to the General Store for the supplies. First time in the area so we had never been to this store. After picking everything out that was needed we proceeded to the checkout. As we were finishing paying I looked up at the ceiling of the store and there was this beautiful light green moth. We did not have this one in our collection and I was not going to let it go. “Do you mind if I catch that moth on you ceiling,” I asked the clerk. Didn’t matter to her. I asked if she had a paper bag and a ladder that I could use. “LDub, you can’t climb up there. You’re embarrassing everyone!” my wife told me. “Won’t take long,” I told her. Well, I climbed the ladder and managed to get the new specimen in the bag. After climbing back down, I turned to find the rest of the family and they were no where to be found. Seems they really were embarrassed and went back to the car. I got in and my wife said, “time to get a new hobby for you and Tad.” It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.