Before Smartphones

In a lush, green town lived an eight-year-old boy named Gale. Summer vacation was just around the corner.

One afternoon, Gale's dad said to him, "Let's take a trip to Thailand this summer! They have shimmering golden temples and bustling night markets. It’ll be so much fun!"

Gale simply pouted. "Thailand? All my classmates are going to Europe! They say there are castles and museums there and that it's amazing."

Dad sighed, looking helpless. "Gale, our family just doesn't have that kind of money for Europe."

Gale crossed his arms angrily. "Then I won't go on a trip at all! Isn't it better to just stay home and play on my phone?" He curled up on the couch and immediately started swiping his screen.

Dad shook his head. "Don't play on your phone all day. It's bad for your eyes, and you won't learn anything."

Gale looked up and argued, "Dad, didn't you play on your phone all the time when you were a kid, too?"

Dad froze for a second, then burst out laughing. "When I was a kid? There were no smartphones back then!"

Gale didn't believe him. He muttered to himself, How is that possible? Dad is definitely lying to me.

That night, Gale lay in bed, still thinking about what his dad had said. Moonlight spilled through the window, shining right on an old photo album sitting on his desk. The album looked incredibly ancient, with a faded leather cover and worn-out corners.

Curious, Gale flipped the album open. It was filled with vintage photos of his dad as a little boy. Suddenly, he noticed a picture of a boy in an old-fashioned school uniform, standing on a school playground with a bright, sunny smile. Written on the back of the photo were the words: Ethan, 1990.

Ethan? Gale thought to himself. Wait, isn't that Dad's name?

Just then, a gentle breeze swept through the room. The photo album began to glow with a brilliant golden light! Gale's head spun, his eyes grew heavy, and everything faded to black.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing on a very old school playground. All around him were students wearing retro uniforms, and by the edge of the yard, a vendor was selling candied fruit sticks. Gale looked down at himself—he was wearing the exact same uniform from the photograph, and he was holding a textbook in his hands!

Suddenly, a boy ran over, patted Gale on the shoulder, and smiled. "Hey, what are you spacing out for? Come on, let's go to the library to check out some books!"

Gale turned to look, and his jaw dropped. This boy looked exactly like his dad in the photograph! He asked tentatively, "Are you... Ethan?"

The boy nodded. "Yep, I'm Ethan. You must be the new transfer student, right? What's your name?"

"I... I'm Gale!" he answered nervously, his heart pounding in his chest. Is this really my dad when he was a kid?

Gale followed Ethan into the library. He was greeted by rows and rows of wooden bookshelves and a few old, creaky tables. Gale was amazed to see that there wasn't a single computer in the whole room. Even weirder, everyone there was reading quietly, and absolutely no one had pulled out a phone to play with.

Ethan expertly picked out a copy of Journey to the West and said, "This one is super good! Do you want to borrow a book, too?"

Gale took the book, unable to hold back his pressing question. "Don't you guys usually play on your phones?"

Ethan looked completely confused. "Play on a phone? How do you play on a telephone?"

Over the next few days, Gale followed Ethan around and experienced exactly what his dad's childhood was like. After school, the first thing Ethan did when he got home was finish his homework, carefully reviewing his textbooks. After eating a simple dinner, he went to bed early. On the weekends, Ethan read storybooks and sometimes went to the park with his friends to play soccer or hide-and-seek.

The days passed by like this—simple, yet incredibly fulfilling.

One day, Gale and Ethan were sitting under the shade of a tree at school, flipping through Ethan's textbook, which was covered in neat notes. Gale couldn't help but ask, "Ethan, have you never been on a vacation?"

Ethan shook his head. "A vacation? Only wealthy families can travel abroad. My family has enough food to eat and warm clothes to wear, and that makes me really happy."

Right at that moment, the golden light flashed once again! Gale found himself back in his own bedroom, still holding the old photo album in his hands. He sat on his bed, stunned, his heart filled with a whirlwind of mixed emotions.

The next morning, Gale ran into the living room and asked his dad, "Dad, how old were you when you went on your first vacation?"

Dad thought about it for a second. "I was probably around twenty-four. When I was a kid, life wasn't as comfortable as it is now. Back then, only wealthy families could travel overseas."

Gale fell silent. He remembered that when he was just three years old, his parents had taken him on a trip to Malaysia. He had never realized that the privileges he took for granted were an unreachable dream for his dad when he was a little boy.

From that day on, Gale changed. He stopped complaining about his family's travel plans, and he stopped being glued to his phone all day long. He began to cherish every single moment with his mom and dad because he finally understood just how precious and hard-earned this simple happiness really was.

And so, Gale and his parents happily went on their trip to Thailand. They ate delicious, sweet coconut ice cream at the night markets, built sandcastles by the beach, and even made wishes together inside the beautiful temples. Gale gave his dad a big hug, smiling from ear to ear. "Dad, thank you for giving me such a happy life!"

Ever since that magical journey, Gale understood the true meaning of gratitude, and he always cherished everything he had.