Roller coasters and theme parks, are you afraid? If so, you’re not alone. When you’re young, theme parks are your playground and roller coasters are your swings but will the feeling last as an adult.
Theme parks have a way of making you feel alive. The way you feel going on roller coaster at a speed of 50 miles per hour with the air pulling on your cheeks is like no other feeling and the adrenaline rush that comes with it is truly euphoric.
I remember those days from my own experience, testing my limits going to theme park and going on rides with intimidating names like ‘cobra roll’ or ‘space mountain’ only to come out victorious with a prideful smile and laughter after beating the locomotive beast.
Life happens…things change….responsibilities come along, that feeling of complete immunity fades away and you begin to feel susceptible to sudden dangers or threats.
It began with a minor case of the ‘fear of heights’ and then the small but irritating ‘fear of flying’. I remember thinking “what is going on with me?” Was I becoming the…dare I say it…. wimp? There was one thing I was certain of, fear would not take my beloved theme parks away. In fact, I was so sure I went to test out that theory. I remember that day, I was in Germany, it was cold and it was wet but I was determined.
I was excited to get there, already thinking about what I was going to ride first and which ride was the scariest. I entered the park, the colorful huts, the magical music of steel drums, the delicious smell of warm baked goods in the air, all of it made me feel, well, a bit giddy. I spotted the first roller coaster I wanted to go on, she didn’t seem so bad, people seemed to be smiling the whole way through. I got on the ride, thinking it would be a breeze, however things felt different this time, suddenly, the seat-belt didn’t seem to be so secure and that once cute roller coaster worker did not look so capable nor did it look like he was taking his job seriously. As I was calculating the level of training the employees really go through in the theme parks, the ride began.
This was a bad idea!This was a bad idea! This was a bad idea! This was a bad ideaaaaaaaaaaaa!
She took off at what seemed to be at the speed of light. I felt my stomach turn, my heart sink and my vocal chords were now beginning to ache. I was screaming but laughing, closing my eyes but peaking out. This roller coaster was truly a roller coaster of emotions. The computerized photo that they caught of me at the peak of the big drop caught the complete terror I was feeling, a part of me wonders if those photos are kept and sent around as some sort of secret theme park trading cards. I won’t name this certain roller coaster for the sake of my reputation but let’s just say it gave me a reality check. My once carefree brave body was now a…chicken…I certainly did enjoy myself for the rest of the day but I stuck to those rides that were close to the ground.
Having said all this, I know that this change of bravery to coward-ism does not happen to everyone. There are plenty of late 20ish-30 something brave souls that can spend their days spinning around testing the limits of gravity in theme parks or the other way around, young chickens who catapult to fierce lions with age.
Returning to theme parks as an adult was a whole new experience, I was suddenly not seeking a thrill and I was okay with that. Don’t get me wrong, I still love going to theme parks and still get that exciting feeling pulling up into the parking lot, but now it’s more because of the sights and sounds and less about getting my heart rate skyrocket high. I wouldn’t completely put roller coasters and all rides that you have to be a certain height to ride on out of the question, there is simply a whole new routine I have to go through before going on one. Where once I could easily go on a ride without any concern, now I simply need to do my best to stop myself from talking me out of it.
Returning to theme parks as an adult was a whole new experience, I was suddenly not seeking a thrill and I was okay with that. Don’t get me wrong, I still love going to theme parks and still get that exciting feeling pulling up into the parking lot, but now it’s more because of the sights and sounds and less about getting my heart rate skyrocket high. I wouldn’t completely put roller coasters and all rides that you have to be a certain height to ride on out of the question, there is simply a whole new routine I have to go through before going on one. Where once I could easily go on a ride without any concern, now I simply need to do my best to stop myself from talking me out of it.
