An Unforgetable Day at the Beach: When fun flops!

I am writing this particular article to give parents the heads up if you have a child that is headstrong and takes the initiative in a dangerous way. If your child says, “I have to use the bathroom some will take your advice if you advise them to use the ocean, but some kids won’t stop there simply because you said so. They will take matters into their own hands and that’s where the danger comes in. So this article is good for those of you are vacations in big groups. At all times each child should be accounted for.

I know we are all human and can get caught up in the fun, but truthfully if you can not keep an eye on all, don’t take any, because in a moments notice things can go from fun to instant panic and distress. Here is my day at Virginia Beach. Where my cousin and I did make the paper, no we didn’t rescue anyone, we started the original version of Lost: the Virginia Beach addition.

What was supposed to be a normal day at the beach turned out to be everything but normal. Let me give you the low down. Ok, so I was ten years old and we took a huge family vacation, we literally drove from Bennettsville, South Carolina. Sure, act as if you haven’t heard of the place, it’s not to far from Myrtle Beach, yeah know you’ve heard of Myrtle Beach. So, we traveled from there to Portsmouth, Virginia, where my Mom’s twin brother lived. We had so much fun, he lived in the suburban area and there was a lake or pond behind his house, you see I was about ten years old then. Well, we wanted to go to end our vacation at the beach, so off we traveled to Virginia Beach.

We had the best time. We drank maybe 2 gallons of salt water that day. I have a picture to capture us before the drama unfolded. It’s the cover picture. We sadly had no idea what was in store for us the waves were nothing, compared to the Hell storm on its way. So, everything is going great. Then all of a sudden my cousin and I have to use the bathroom. So we go to my aunt for assistance (big mistake). She is my mother’s second oldest sister and my namesake might I add. Brittany Vanessa (She is Vanessa.)

We tell her our little dilemma. We say, “We need to go to the bathroom.” My aunt says, “There is plenty of ocean out there!” We did a double take at one another. “No, eww!” We need to go to the bathroom. I will give her the benefit of the doubt she did not have any children of her own at this time and I will surmise that she would have done better if she knew better.

So, I said, “No, Aunt Vanessa you don’t understand we have to number two!” She turned to us and said, “I said there is plenty of ocean didn’t I.” Wrong answer, so we decided well she isn’t going to help us so, we’ll find the bathroom ourselves. (Kids don’t try this ever!) We left the water and walked on the boardwalk part from bar to bar asking for a bathroom and to no avail. We had maybe walked maybe half of the boardwalk, then we decided to go back to our family.

We walked back to the spot where we thought they were. We didn’t see anyone. That’s when we panicked, had they left us or forgot us? We had to stick to together. We walked that 5 mile beach at least 10 times and couldn’t find them anywhere. (We had no idea they moved to another part and were looking for us.

We were tired, scared, fatigued, and one of us had the bright idea we should split up and if one finds them we will tell the others where we were. (Dumb kid thinking mixed with hopelessness, I guess.) We figured we would meet back up, I went to the left and she went to the right, I guess the logic was we would meet in the middle.

As I walked the entire left side, I came back and I didn’t see my cousin. “Oh, my God had someone gotten her? I yelled at that moment, “Mommy!” My mom after the incident swore she heard me call her name that day in South Carolina.

So, at that moment I felt alone, scared, and trapped. What was I going to do, a predator had obviously got my cousin and I felt like I was next. At that moment a lifeguard began to walk towards me and said, “Brittany, I got Andy!” What?! I connected the dots, I knew it a predator had my cousin and he wasn’t getting me, too!

I ran, back then I was fast, he couldn’t catch me, but boy he sure did try though. I was literally running for my life. Then, I had a blond moment and thought on Baywatch they always seem to get away when they jump into the ocean. That’s what I was going to do, as I ran I swear I heard the theme music. Now, it was my time to escape to the water. I stopped running and turned towards the water. I began to leap and he caught me, “Gotcha!”

He said, “Brittany I have Andy, I’m a lifeguard, I got some sodas their hot, but you can have one with Andy.” Then it dawned on me as I walked back to the tower and saw my cousin how much trouble we were in. We talked about how ridiculous it was to drink hot soda, anything to avoid the trouble coming our way. A cop on a motorcycle showed up. No one was talking to us. Apparently, my uncle (my mom’s twin) was so upset he had to be rushed to the hospital. We did make the paper, my cousin Chantney said they saved it, but I will never forget that day at Virginia Beach.

Remember hear your kids out because it could be child like me and my cousin and they will come to you first and if they don’t get resolution from the issue, they will take matters into their own hands. That solution works for no one. We live in a time where no only do you have to worry about them being lost, but also them being kidnapped, molested, and sold to the human trafficking market, or pimped out. Keep an eye on your kiddies, because they are definitely keeping an eye on you. Happy Beaching be Safe out There!