Riding the Roller Coaster

Having a chronic disease does have its' benefits. With my handicap pass I usually don't have to hunt for a parking space for very long. Then there is the luxury of being pushed in a wheelchair when everyone else is walking, especially in 90 degree heat, the chair is not so bad. I particularly enjoy being escorted to the front of the line at amusement parks, it's a wonderful perk. Now on most days I do not look sick so when I step out of my van and prance into the store or pop up out of the chair after skipping everyone who has been standing there for an hour I get some mean looks. I don't blame people for their ugliness. They are ignorant of my situation, only aware of their own sense of injustice. It's not fair that I skipped them or that they had to search high and low for a parking place.

My family and I went to Six Flags over Georgia yesterday. We had some free tickets and thought it would be a fun way to end the summer before school starts. While we were there I observed the crazy crowd flying overhead, doing loop-da-loops on the roller coasters. I affectionately refer to them as the screaming idiots. I used to be one of those people. I love a good roller coaster, the bigger, faster, scarier, the better. I loved the feeling of being so excited you scream with delight. Unfortunately now I lose my breath on the rides and have a hard time getting it back until the ride finally ends, by then I am a light shade of blue; still amusing but not so enjoyable.

Amusement park rides help us have controlled adrenaline rushes. Unlike real life we have the thrill of danger while safely buckled into our own little seat. We sit back, secure and comfortable (or as comfortable as you can be flying in the air at 80 miles per hour ) watching the world rush by. I think we all long for the excitement of adventure and the safety of control at the same time. There are times when we all desire that life was like a ride that we could get on and off of, knowing in just a moment the intensity of the unknown will pass and we'll be back safely on the ground. We want life to be predictable and come at us at a steady pace but instead we often feel strapped in and we cannot get off. Sometimes holding on tight and screaming is the best we can do.

An acceptable place to scream...I think this is part of the lure of amusement parks. This is one of the reasons people stand in the hot, miserable heat melting like candle wax for an hour or more to jump on a ride that will last for under 2 minutes. I eagerly anticipate the day when I take on the big rides again, although I will miss going to the front of the line in my wheelchair.