Castle! Montezuma's Castle! Not revenge.

Camp Verde, Arizona
Photo by Jason Zwiker

This was the last sight we saw in Arizona. Actually we saw a ton more on our drive back to Phoenix, but this was the last attraction we went to. Jason had picked up a little cold and was running a low grade fever, which when combined with the 95+ degree weather, was not a good thing.

I was sitting on a bench, chatting up old people when I was treated to two examples of parental misconduct. (Now, I've raised a kid and I know it is SO much easier when you are sitting on a bench watching, but still.)

The family: Mom, Dad, Daughter (about age 8), and Son (about age six)

First: The Wimpy Parent

Son attempts to climb up the rock wall into one of the lower levels of the ruins.

Mom says, "Oh, honey. I don't think you are really supposed to be on there."

Oh honey, I don't think you are really supposed to be smoking cigarettes.
Oh honey, I don't think you are really supposed to be shooting up heroin.
Oh honey, I don't think you are really supposed to be impregnating girls at fifteen.

See how stupid she sounds?

Be a grown up, for Pete's sake!

How about this: "Son, get down. You are not allowed to climb on that."

Second: The Liar Parent

Dad says to Daughter, "Give me your camera and I'll take a picture of you where ever you want."

Daughter gleefully hands over her little digital camera and immediately strikes an adventurous pose, pretending she is scaling the mountain of rock before her, tossing her ponytail saucily over a shoulder and with a sassy head tilt, grins up at Dad.

Who isn't paying attention, but looking down the path. "Go down there," he says, never looking down to see her great pose, "And sit on that rail, I'll take your picture there."

He never looked down to see the look on her face either. That one bothered me. A lot. Dad, this girl's male role model, her pattern against which future relationships will be measured, just told her that he would lie to her with impunity, that her ideas were not good enough and that he would do her thinking for her.