Roller coasters

I have to admit it, I love roller coasters. It is interesting to watch others ride too. Some scream in terror, others shriek with delight. To mask their fear, some will laugh themselves silly through the entire ride. Some feign boredom, wearing a tough face, while some just can't get enough thrill and continually search for bigger, better, scarier. I am amused.

Of course there are many who won't go near a roller coaster. My grandmother was not one of those. She lived just a few miles from both Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm and about an hour away from Six Flags Magic Mountain. I loved visiting her as a child, as it almost always meant visiting one of the afore mentioned. Grandma never passed on an opportunity to ride a rollercoaster.

As we'd approach the front of a line at an amusement park, I'd watch Grandma looking ever so frail. I'd read the warnings, regarding those with heart problems and the like to NOT ride. Grandma usually met at least 2 of the criteria for not riding.

"Grandma, are you sure you ought to go on this one?" I'd ask. Her answer was always the same.

"You know, if my heart gives out, at least I was having fun when it did." Of course this answer did nothing to quench my fear that she might not get off of it alive. I suppose if I hadn't wanted to ride so much, I might have tried harder to convince her not to get on, but I didn't want to miss out either.

What is the appeal of these crazy contraptions? Who came up with the insane idea to go as fast as humanly possible, while connected in some way to a metal cart, clacking along a track that throws you contortionately sideways, upside down or backwards? I think I know the answer. No, not who thought these things up, but why they appeal to some of us.

Ponder this a moment. Once you are strapped tightly into a car, the car begins to move, what goes through your mind? Most likely you don't think too far into the future. You are anticipating what might happen next. Your heart begins to beat a bit faster. A rush of excitement comes swooshing up. But you are not thinking about what you will be doing next week, what you are going to make for dinner that night or anything else that might require deep thinking or planning. You might, for just a second, wish you hadn't eaten a chili dog for lunch 15 minutes earlier because you know it won't taste as good coming up as it did going down. Seriously, all you can do is be in that moment of time. There are no worries or regrets. No hurt feelings from the past. You cannot possibly have any depth to your thoughts. (I keep correcting myself. Okay, you might think that your entire life flashing before your eyes is deep thinking, but it doesn't really count.)

There is no thought about what lies before you. On a somewhat smooth area, you might take a second to peer ahead in anticipation if something bigger is coming next, or glance to the side looking for a plummeting drop. But you won't be taking in the sites. No details to distract you, you are hanging on for the ride at a ridiculously fast pace, knowing it will all be over shortly. You are living for the moment, possibly barely hanging on-begging for it to end quickly. This short-lived, exhillarating, fast-moving ride brings laughter, tears, excitement, thrills...a whole bundle of emotions without ever having to really think about anything.

It would be interesting to take a poll to find out if those who love roller coasters also tend to live their lives in this same fast pace. Never stopping to plan or evaluate whether what is going on is good or bad, never wanting to have to look too far into the future as to what might lie ahead that they would need to prepare for. Instead the fast pace is necessary to keep from having to think or experience life. Lives filled with busyness, in order to avoid ever feeling pain, hurt, or even love. This fast pace is like a drug. It is addicting. As soon as you are off the roller coaster, you run off to find the next one, bigger, better, and more thrilling than the last. And for a few brief moments, you won't have to deal with the real things of life. Many keep this dizzying pace up all their lives. Because of times of intense emotion and pleasure they believe they are living life to the fullest, when in actuality, they are avoiding life.

For me, an occasional escape on that coaster once every few years suits me just fine. I love the thrill, but I have to stop and catch my breath. I have to take time to breathe in the odors around me, so that I can detect dangerous smoke or enjoy a fragrant blossom.