Being a parent can be hard. That’s kind of the main thing about it, really. Sure, caring for another human being has its perks, but it’s also deeply draining. Did you know there’s a term for the time between when young children get home and when they eat dinner? They call it the “arsenic hour.” I bring that up not because I think poisoning yourself or your child is a good idea, but just to illustrate how insane it feels to come home from work and be expected to stay on for a few more hours. I love my kid, and spending time with her is honestly my favorite thing to do. It’s just that sometimes I have no ideas for how to pass the time.
That’s where the Cub Scouts of America come in. My daughter doesn’t like the theater, she can’t drive, she knows nothing about international politics. But she does love camping, building things and learning about plants. You know what I know about camping? (Cub Scouts, have you even met me?) I’m just about as indoor-kid as one can get. But I’ll do anything for my girl, and the Cub Scouts make that easy. I don’t have to plan, and I don’t have to source any strange survival gear. Clueless parents like myself need only show up and pay a small annual membership fee to have a seemingly endless amount of resources at our fingertips. I can just follow along, bring the bug spray, and watch my daughter proudly recite the Scout oath, promising to be trustworthy, loyal and helpful. She’s even started talking about wanting to plant a vegetable garden, just to be thrifty. But come on, kid. This isn’t Little House on the Prairie.
—Laura Hutson Hunter
Arts Editor, Nashville Scene
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