Bumper stickers have a way of capsulizing common experiences. Take, for example, the one that asks simply, ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?

I remember those family vacations when as children we were squeezed in the back seat of an overstuffed station wagon and driven in a direction decided by Mom and Dad alone. I would rather have spent two weeks in my tree house, not at rest stops and restaurants and relatives' houses, but the sound of the ignition drowned all hopes of staying home.

The bickering with my brother over who would sit on the hump was soon interrupted by that voice from the cockpit: "I'm not going to tell you more than once to stop arguing and get along. We are going on vacation, and we're going to have a good time. Does everybody understand?"

Dad's persuasive abilities were attested to by our somber silence that lasted until he spoke again, this time asking the infamous question, "Are we having fun yet?"

Just as you can't force your family to have fun on vacation, I've also learned that ...