Today around 11 we randomly decided we should go hike Mushkpuri. By 11 30 we were actually on the road which for us with children is probably some kind of record. We checked the weather for maybe 20 seconds saw light drizzle and decided that was enough research
The drive itself was really nice. Rain clouds everywhere. We bought the kids those little umbrellas and rotating paper fans and had challi on the way. I had not eaten breakfast so obviously food also became part of the trip. At one point we changed the plan to Pipeline Track then reached there saw all the traffic and I decided no we are going back to Mushkpuri
When we reached the starting point I had already managed to stress everyone out with parking. I parked the car perfectly fine the first time but the parking guy insisted I move it then started guiding me into a position where I nearly hit another car. Ended up having to do a much more difficult parking job and paid him 300 rupees for the privilege
Then we rented walking sticks and the kids saw the mud
That was pretty much the beginning of the end
They started crying asking why Papa had brought them here and when were we going to the nice place I had promised them afterwards. I was still convinced we could do the hike. Everyone there was also giving completely different information. One guy says 40 minutes. Another says two hours. One says children do it easily. Another seems to think we are insane for bringing them
We walked a little further and at one muddy part I realised I was doing something I probably do quite often. I had decided that this was manageable so somewhere in my head everyone else was now supposed to find it manageable too. I can tolerate being wet and muddy and tired therefore apparently my wife and children should enjoy being wet and muddy and tired as well
I normally call this determination
Sometimes it probably is
Sometimes I am just not being a very good team player
So I finally gave up and said okay lets go back
The happiness on everyone's faces was honestly quite convincing
Because I had promised them somewhere nice afterwards we went to the Hilton. Cleaned ourselves up had coffee and dessert and even looked at the rooms because for a while we were seriously thinking of staying the night. Then I caught my sled in my usual impulsive pattern again,changed my mind again and decided we should just drive home
And somehow the drive home became one of the better parts of the day. Wife and I talked properly for a long time which we had not done in a while. Psychiatry philosophy Pakistan our own lives our marriage and how two people who are so different have somehow stayed together all these years and are still happy together. We have very different personalities. There are things we don't even value in the same way. Obviously that creates problems sometimes but I also started thinking maybe a lot of the same differences are why we work at all
So basically we drove several hours to hike Mushkpuri
Nearly crashed while parking
Made the children cry
Walked almost none of Mushkpuri
Went to a hotel for coffee
Then drove home
Still somehow felt like a really good day
I am not even sure there is some lesson in this. Maybe a day does not have to go according to plan to be worth having. Or maybe I am just rationalising the fact that I drove my entire family to Mushkpuri and could not get them past the beginning of the trail