CHARGE !

Interesting little word . . .  It used to be when I was a kid and I heard the word CHARGE I would immediately think of THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE !  I think at one time I probably had to memorize all or part of that poem for school or at the very least read it and so it was stuck in some tiny little crevice of my brain. The word charge evoked visions of men on horse back, arms defiantly flung in the air riding to their inevitable deaths in battle all the while screaming at the top of their lungs, "CHARGE!"  How terribly heroic and romantic and wildly exciting to a child who didn't have a TV to watch, just a radio to listen to.

Then in the 50's the word CHARGE took on a whole new meaning.  There came about this new way of purchasing things. You no longer needed to have cash to pay for something you bought. You could actually buy something without paying anything ! People were very wary of this at first but soon came to love the idea and sure enough the CHARGE CARD caught on and has been our best friend ever since.

And now here we are in another century all together and the word CHARGE has once again taken on another meaning! Last Sunday my family all arrived, crashing through the front door, kids running all over the place to see where the Easter Bunny had left baskets and eggs and the adults running all over the place to see where they could plug in their phones to CHARGE them.  It really was a lot like the charge of the light brigade.  Four adults all scrambling to find an outlet that would allow them access and yet be able to keep their phones out of the reach of little fingers who wanted to steal the phones. Two year olds have such a great love for cell phones. Eight year olds and five year olds also love cell phones because they can play games on them. So the choice of charging spots must be well thought out. High enough and hidden enough but near enough so that if someone calls it can still be heard.
Once the phones are all plugged in quiet ensues for a short time. Until there is something note worthy that needs recording.  Then the phone must be gotten from it's resting place and this is where the trouble begins.  If the charger is left in the outlet there is a good chance it will be left behind or even better . . . it will be picked up by one of the remaining 3 adults. Now the game of "WHO'S GOT MY CHARGER?" begins.  This involves 42 text messages until the phone dies because it no longer has a charger. The culprit who has absconded with the wrong charger is now responsible for getting it back to it's proper owner. It has been known to take weeks for this to happen. Never has it occurred to any of the involved to just go out an buy a new charger!  Each time we gather the same thing happens and each time we get together they wonder why as the door opens I always yell,

                                                                 CHARGE !