Earth Hour may have been embraced by hundreds of millions of people in 88 countries around the world but it wasn't going down well with my three.
"Don't be ridiculous," spluttered my husband when I explained to him on Saturday I wanted us to be part of this global stand on climate change by turning off our house lights for an hour that evening.
I took that as a 'no' from him then and went in search of more mature reaction from teenage sons.
"I can think of more entertaining ways of spending a Saturday evening," said one, with more than a hint of understatement, when I outlined that all he would have to do was sit in the dark for an hour from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.
"We are not living in the dark ages," said the other.
"Yes, but we may be if we don't look after our resources," I said. "And you would be joining people from more than 1,000 major cities around the world."
"Yes, but we are in Fishbourne. Who is going to care, or even know?" he says, bored of this now.
"We will," I say, thinking how much easier it was when they were little and I could turn stuff like power cuts into a fun, exciting game.
The hour approaches and I light some candles and get the torch out.
To be fair to sons, on the dot of 8.30pm they turn some lights off which husband then turns on again - three or four times.
In the end husband sits defiantly in the illuminated kitchen reading the newspaper while sons and I sit watching TV - yes, I know, but it was a necessary compromise - in the dark.
So, in the end, our message to world leaders was a little half-hearted (or half-housed) to say the least. But it was worth it. I think.
I am booking tickets for something and wonder if teenage son would like to go.
"Dunno," I think he mumbles.
"Sorry," I say.
"I dunno," he says again.
"You don't know if you want to go or not," I persevere, trying to get to the bottom of it.
"Yeah," he shrugs.
"What you want to go," I venture.
"Dunno," he says. "And calm down will you."
Is it just me? (again)
What do you think? Click here to send a letter or leave a comment below.
Click here to go back to Chichester news
Click here to go back to Bognor Regis news
Click here to go back to Midhurst and Petworth news
To tell us where in the world you are reading this story click on the link below to add yourself to our readers' map.
MAP
