I am not really a thrill ride guy, but this was about to change and a life lesson was coming my way!
We all did something a little out of the ordinary. We got something called a FastPass. It is super expensive, but worth it! You get to skip the line and get on way more things than you would normally due to the long line ups for some of the more popular rides.
I was given the pass without any real notice, so guess what? I am now on the hook to ride with my kids as much as possible on the scariest rides! They love all the big drops and now, like it or not, so do I!
We lined up for Leviathan, which is the biggest drop of any roller coaster in the park. My coaster experience is to encounter sheer terror as soon as the train leaves the station! The ride is going to happen and you cannot stop it. You can't wish it away or pretend it isn't happening. You are about to drop 300ft and go weightless. I generally think, this is the ONE time the machine will fail! It will be my car that goes over the edge and off the rails. The ride gets to the top and then is a white knuckle few minutes of checking my faith and praying to not die.
Then it's over. That's when you go and get back in line, because you have a FastPass! You go and do it again! This is what is expected! OK so now, I am a little more prepared. I know the general ride, but the whole thing is still fresh. We get locked in and here we go. I loosen up a little and enjoy a few spots. Then it's over again. Then it's back in line again. Now I am a veteran! I know exactly where to put my hands in the air and just go with it. You know what? NOW I'm having fun!
Take a minute or two and watch the ride. Would you do it? Depends on how daring you are, but I think, depending on your health, you should try it once.
Here's what I learned.
Life is full of things that you are going to experience whether you like it or not. When you are born, you are strapped or buckled in and the lap bar has come down. Off you go! Here comes the "Heartache Hill". You hold on through the "Death of a Loved One" curve. It's a wild ride through the "Bankruptcy Dip". Oh and then there are times when the whole thing goes upside down! These are things that either thrill you or terrify you, but they happen to people ALL THE TIME. After a few times around, life gets a little easier as you learn to trust the ride and know that you are going to make it! You may not know what bumps and twists are coming but you will be confident enough to know that if you just hold on, it will be OK.
Enjoy the ride!
