Globe Corner Blogs

The day was Sunday, and my parents were on their way. They have visited me many times in Boston, but before there was always a school event already planned for us.  What was I to do this time?  Where would I take them?  The idea of going to the Museum of Dirt again popped into my head, but then I realized I needed an appointment.  This was my dilemma.  Whenever my parents come to Boston we have to go do something. Why, you might ask?  Because I live in a disgusting house with eight other people, and I know that they don’t even want to come in. This is why I need an event for them at all times when they come to visit.

The Boston Harbor Cruise was the event of the day.  I had never been, and neither had my family.  Since it was such a gorgeous day and we all enjoy boating, it seemed like the proper choice.  So off we went on this historic cruise: a cruise of islands, forts, sewage treatment plants, and abandoned buildings.

It was interesting for the most part and I got to see a part of Boston that I do not see very much.  I spent most of the time listening to the poorly prerecorded tour guide, and wondering why they had a bar on the boat.

The tour ended, we had a good time, and were about to go get ice cream. There was one stop we had to make first: we had to see the picture that the boat crew took of us when we were in line.  We didn’t ask them to take it, it was one of those generous things they do to try to make twenty bucks off of you.  It was very apparent that we knew this ahead of time as in our picture I’m looking off into the distance, my mom is forcing a smile, and my dad has no smile whatsoever.  A crew member approached me and asked if I knew a particular person, which I did.  I found the question sort of odd and before I really considered the crew member’s question they said that this particular person worked there.  I said, “oh.”  So I found out that my friend prints out the pictures for the tours and recognized me, which meant I got a free picture.  Then regret hit me: why had I not smiled? I never thought that I would ever own one of those pictures.

Now I have a picture of me with my parents to mark our day, but the picture doesn’t give our day any justice.  My only consolation is that we didn’t get charged by the Harbor Cruise picture people; we kind of tricked them by me having friends who actually recognize me. I also had a very pleasant day with my parents, which is always good, and learned that I should always smile for those ridiculous pictures.

Read more: Boston, Islands, New England, Outdoor Recreation, Touring with the Parents, Travel


Dan is a musician specializing in West African drumming and dancing. Other then drumming for his multiple bands, his favorite hobby is bikes bikes bikes. He also thinks that tattoos are totally sweet.

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