Waaaahoooooo!

Spouse and I went to Lagoon (an amusement park near Salt Lake City) on Friday with my brother and his family. I love roller coasters. I always have. When I was about 5 my family went to Six Flags Over Texas, and I loved it. I rode everything I was tall enough to ride. I was devastated that I was too short to ride the Texas Giant and would have to wait until the next time. My favorite ride was the Shockwave, a metal coaster with two loops. I also loved the Cliffhanger, a ride that makes you fall really fast.

And that is why I've never understood people who don't like roller coasters. Because I've always loved them. I've understood when people get sick on them because that really can't be helped. But I never understood when people were too afraid to ride them. I mean, you're strapped in. You probably won't fall out. And despite the terrible event that happened in Kentucky recently, it is very unlikely that a cable will snap and you will lose a leg on the ride.

When we got to the park, Eric informed me that he doesn't really like roller coasters. WHAT? It made me wonder why he had come. Nonetheless, he had a good time, and he even rode a couple of rides that he didn't really want to ride.

Two of my nephews (the two old enough to actually ride rides) were kind of chickeny kids. And it bothered their parents. Especially the nine-year-old who was perfectly content to ride some rides three years ago that he wouldn't ride this year. Even though they were bothered that their kids wouldn't ride the cool stuff, I thought they handled it really nicely. They never forced a screaming kid to ride a ride he didn't want to (which we saw happen). Then again, their kids were content just to quietly say they would pass on that one. Instead, they told the kids if they didn't want to ride, they didn't have to, but they would have to wait in line just the same. I liked that policy.

When Eric and I have kids who are too chicken to ride the good rides, they'll still have to wait in line with us. Then again, I guess Eric will tend the chicken kids and ride the chicken rides while I do the fun stuff with the non-scared children. Because, after all, if the kids are scared of coasters they will have inherited that trait from him, not me.