Making the Best

....of a bad situation.

(The following is just a kind of long thing that I felt like getting out there.)

So today was the field trip. The field trip. The Field Trip, capital letters included. It was the day the 8th graders at my school go to Valleyfair, our local version of Six Flags, for seven hours of non-educational, totally free rides and waterparks and rollercoasters and funnel cakes and magicians and fun. It's the one that every kid in Apple Valley waits for from kindergarten to eighth grade. It is one that every kid has put nine years of anticipation in for.
Today was the day.
It got cancelled.

It was actually pretty understandable- today, this huge thunderstorm rolled into southern Minnesota, and hey, would you like to be at the top of a giant metal rollercoaster when the lightning visits? But needless to say, everyone in my grade is pissed.

Except me and my friends.

It was my friend's birthday today, and we were going to throw her a surprise party at Valleyfair. When they gave us the news that it was cancelled, she was crushed. But then the adults sent the kids outside of school to mill around the front entrance for a bit (it wasn't raining yet), and we decided to give her the party anyway. We got out a beach towel (a boy had been planning to use it at the waterpark) and spread it out on the grass so we could all sit down. Then we got out her presents, sang the birthday song (and some others, cuz we're all loud and crazy) and just had a lot of fun. When someone pointed out that we didn't have any cake, the birthday girl realized she had a pack of granola bars in her backpack, and we all ate peanut-butter-chocolate-chip granola bars for a birthday treat. (My favorite flavor, coincidentally.)

It was just the best thing I have done all year. All around us, the popular kids were yelling on their cell phones, sulking, moping, groaning- and we're sitting on the ground, opening presents, laughing, and eating and just having a great time. I don't think I've ever been happier in school than right then and there, and it really helped cheer us all up just when we needed it.

Later, kids decided to just go home. Now I have the house to myself, and I plan to watch a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon and possibly get some ice cream. Maybe this afternoon I'll go out and hang with my friends.

I think later, when I look back on my life, I'll say:
Screw the field trip.
This is how I'd like my life to be.