Fun and Character Building

Not so long ago, I received this Calvin and Hobbes comic in my inbox. It's one of those that made me laugh and nod knowingly. For those not inclined to click on the link, here's the text:

Dad: It's getting dark, Calvin. Time to come in and go to bed!
Calvin: But Hobbes and I were catching fireflies. Can't we stay out a little longer?
Dad: Ha! First you didn't want to go out, and now you don't want to come in! See, by not watching TV, you had more fun, and now you'll have memories of something real you did, instead of something fake you just watched.
Calvin: Nothing spoils fun like finding out it builds character.

Growing up, I remember playing in the park across the street until it was too dark to see anything. We would be hitting fly balls or shooting baskets long after the light had left. Unlike the neighbors who would yell for their kids from their driveways, my dad would walk over and tell us in a calm voice, "Dinner's ready. Time to come home." There would be the usual protests ("But I'm so close to winning, I just need to score nine more three-pointers!") or stalling tactics ("Okay, I'll be right there after I hit this one into the street."). We would eventually surrender to the darkness and my dad. If we had known we were building character, we might have been less resistant and more eager to rush back inside for an unhealthy dose of television, but we didn't know any better. As far as we knew, tomorrow would bring another evening of bad swings, air balls and fun (with some character building slipped in on the side).