Growing Up Hurt and Humiliated. Part 7

I've never liked heights. Never. Ever. When I rode in a cable car that takes you from one side of a theme park to another, I grip the pole, and close my eyes, and pray the cable doesn't snap. When my dad made me go to the top of the faux Eiffel Tower at Kings Dominion in Virgina, I dug my fingers in to the walls of the elevator. I just don't do well with heights. So naturally, I don't like roller coasters either.

I had managed to never get on a roller coaster for many years, dodging them at every turn. That was until a class trip when I was in the 6th grade. Dad was a chaperon for this trip, and he loves to ride roller coasters. My friends that were on the trip loved to ride roller coasters. So, they would ride while I waited. Safely on the ground below.

In what may have been Dad trying to get me into a "man-up" moment, he decided that he was going to goad me into riding one. Seeing as calling me out in front of my friends would probably work, that's what he did. I finally gave in.

I had to sit at the front of the ride. Dad's orders. So, the coaster starts, it goes over a small hill or two, and then starts to chug up the highest point, so as that from there on out, gravity takes over. Chuck chuck chuck chuck chuck the coaster goes up to the high point. I'm already pretty damned scared, at which point...God in his infinite wisdom of loving to play pranks on me decided now would be a good time to throw in a thunderstorm on what was just thirty seconds ago, a very sunny day. The coaster in its very slow motion continues to go until it gets to the top. Then, before gravity can take hold, it stops. Dead. Power had gone down over the park. Folks in the cable cars above us were stuck, nothing was moving.

It would be right here that I freak out. And continued to freak out, as lightning started striking.
Finally, after 30-45 minutes or so, the power came back on, and the coaster shot off like a bat out of hell. I kept my eyes closed for the rest of the trip. I got off, and told my dad "That is exactly why I don't ride those."

As you can see, in a one in a million scenario, on my first and last roller coaster ride why I'll never go on another one again.

Next time, how many times can one face get hit by a baseball?

Comments

  1. Kelly @ turned UP to ELEVEN!December 12, 2009 at 2:30 PM

    I would have been uncomfortable at that point too - not so much with the height but the fear of lightening hitting me, and or the wet track causing electric shock! No wonder you hate roller coasters!

    ReplyDelete

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