Memories of our Son, John Paul, about camping out at the Lillian KOA ... finding something ... losing something ... finding something ...
This Story was written by our Son, John Paul (JP) Horcasitas around 2016. Fun Guitar Playing of "Here Comes The Sun" by Keith and JP on Father's Day, 2018 noted at the end with a YT.
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Throughout my childhood there have been thousands of smells that I have come across. Although, many of these smells have been forgotten since I have the memory of a ninety year old man. It is only getting worse as times goes on. Even with this handicap, I still remember when I was ten years old on my way to the beach in Lilian, Alabama. I was feeling like I owed the world, ten years and basically an adult in my mind. Double digits was a big deal back then. It was sometime in October and I had been on the edge waiting to go to the log cabins of KOA right on the edge of the ocean. The smell of the log cabins and salt-filled air will always linger with me forever.
The KOA campgrounds was my dream of freedom. I could walk around and explore with my dad throughout the deserted beach area. There was an abandoned gift shop on the sea side that had many old trinkets left to collect dust. I felt like I was one of the Hardy boys, investigating ruins to find clues for an investigation. My dad and I would walk up and down the road to get back to the main office which was basically a covered forest area. I remember him telling me about when he was a kid and how his parents took him on vacation to California. I was pretty jealous but also satisfied by the small campground we were at.
Right along the edge of the water there was a long, skinny pier going out into the water. It was about 100 feet out and had barely enough room for two people to walk on. I was frightened of falling into the water and getting eaten by sharks, but after a few times walking across the pier, I felt like I could do anything. My dad and I would bring out our fishing poles late at night. We used any bait that was available to catch catfish for hours on end. It was beautiful, a view of the bridge connecting Florida to Alabama, and the moonlight shining across the bay. Along with this was the strong smell of fresh ocean air. This was a big part of my young life because I learned the basics of fishing from my dad on that pier. I remember catching a decent size catfish for keeps that we ate the next day. It made me feel like I was the guy off of the show, “Survivor Man.” He was sent to various uncivilized areas to live off the land all alone. This was also a big part of my childhood. I planned to one day be like the Survivor Man, but now I am trapped in the life of a college student.
Next to the main office building of the campgrounds there was a pool, playground, tenting area, and an area specifically for large RVs to stay for long periods of time. It was late at night, my dad and I were walking up the road after a long day of fishing out on the pier. I could smell the pine trees next to the forest and hear coyotes howling from a distance. We had flash lights to guide our way through the gloomy darkness. I went to sit in one of the empty RV spots to wait for my dad to finish doing whatever he was doing inside of the main office. I rolled my flashlight on the ground, bringing up dust. In the distance I saw a clear shiny object laying across from me. I went to investigate and there I saw a small diamond ring covered in dirt. I figured that this was a dream come true , I was going to be a rich ten year old.
After five minutes my dad came out of the office with some paperwork. I was overjoyed and screamed, “Dad come see what I found. I’m rich!” He walked over and studied the dusty ring. He didn’t seem to get very excited and I was starting to worry. I figured that it was a fake, probably just a ring from those quarter machines in Walmart that are for kids. Instead, he put his hand on my shoulder and said, “This is someone’s wedding ring, we have to bring it to the lost and found.” My heart was broken. The RV spot looked like it had been empty for days. I thought about how there was no way the people who lost the ring were going to come back to get it. This was when I started crying because I knew I got my hopes up for nothing.
I was enraged at my dad when he made me return the ring to the front desk and tell the workers where I found it. In my mind, I already had it planned out which Legos I would buy with the money from selling the ring. The new alien movie, Bionicle, came out with a Lego set, but it was too expensive for my parents to buy. All my hopes were flushed down the drain. To make me feel better, my dad took me to the store and bought me a chocolate chip ice cream sandwich. After I was calmed down, my dad gave me a talk about how we should always be thinking about the situations of others.
My dad drilled the typical Catholic golden rule into my head, “Do to others as you would have them do unto you.” There are many times when my parents would use bible quotes to teach me lessons as a kid. They have always been very religious and made sure I stayed on track with God. I will always remember this lesson every time I go to the beach, especially when I get a smell of the fresh ocean air. This golden rule has always been a vital part of the way I make decisions in my life and how I treat those around me. Still, the part of me that is a kid regrets not pawning the ring and blowing the money on toys.
- John Paul Horcasitas
"Here Comes The Sun" - Keith & JP on Father's Day, 2018 playing this Beatles Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuWjFll9Lic
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This Story was written by our Son, John Paul (JP) Horcasitas around 2016. Fun Guitar Playing of "Here Comes The Sun" by Keith and JP on Father's Day, 2018 noted at the end with a YT.
