Now, I know my kid's all excited about this, and I don't blame her. She's 10, and who doesn't love Sea World when you're 10? But I am substantially older than 10, and I really, really dislike Sea World. It's just an ethical nightmare for someone like me, who has serious wild-animals-in-captivity issues. I do not relish the idea of giving her $75 to go gape at these poor creatures, not to mention the fact that I (as room mom) would be going as a chaperone.
Of course I will have to let her go, and go with her. Despite my moral objections, it would be too much to ask of her to miss the trip because I have issues. I'm not perfect, but I'm not Joan Crawford either.
We won't be going until the spring, and I'm sure I'll be dreading it every day between then and now. I'm not sure I can fake happiness about being there, but I don't want to bring her day down. I know I'll genuinely enjoy having some time together with her, so I will focus on my kid and not on the whales and dolphins. And maybe, after we come home, I'll mention to her that Mommy isn't planning to go back there anytime soon, because I'd rather see those creatures out in the oceans where they belong, and not in a tank. I dunno - at some point I hope she'll develop a sense of things herself, and realize that nature is not meant to be our entertainment. But until that time, I guess I'll be sucking it up - through a straw, from my $7.95 jumbo Shamu souvenir cup.
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