Just Because You Can...

...doesn't mean you should.

A few weeks ago, we went camping at our favorite local campground. We are usually the only people there (maybe 3 or 4 other sites taken in the entire campground), but this time, at least 2/3 of the campground was full. It's on a quiet lake...no motors allowed. The facilities are primitive (pit toilets). It's really a peaceful, lazy spot to get away for a little bit.

Until our recent trip. One of the campers near us kept his generator running well past midnight. Then, bright and early (around 6am), he started it up again. So, I'm awake long before I planned, and stumbled bleary-eyed to the nearest hole in the ground. On the way, the "gentleman" with the generator let his little yapper dog chase me down and start licking and sniffing me. I raised an eyebrow and mentioned that it was pretty early. He seemed oblivious, so I asked if the generator was necessary at that hour. He looked at his watch and said "It's legal." He went on to tell me that in a campground with no hookups, you can run a generator 24/7 if you want. He even dared me to call the Sheriff and ask. I did call the Sheriff's office to confirm this. I was told that Nebraska campgrounds had no quiet hours, and that people go camping to party all night long.

Despite the assertions of this horribly arrogant man and the local sheriff's office, I discovered that Nebraska campgrounds do indeed have quiet hours, and they extend to generators, regardless of the availability of electricity in the campground.

So, once I got past the grumpiness of the early morning wake-up call, I realized that this was the perfect teachable moment for Dayna (who slept until 9:30, by the way) that just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD.

What many people consider to be their rights are really responsibilities. We had a lovely time around our breakfast table brainstorming things that may be allowed but aren't necessary.