‘Tis the season to go to amusement parks and scare ourselves silly with ridiculous roller coaster drops and rides that spin around so fast your face gets spread out like a pancake. I love rides and have never met one that I wouldn’t try. In fact, on my very first date with my husband we went to a fair and I wanted to go on the Zipper so bad that I told him I would go on without him. I thought he was just being a wussy. Well, he sucked up his lack of excitement for the ride and went on it with me. Later that night, when his pounding headache was too much to hide, he explained that during a childhood accident his left ear drum shattered, leaving him with poor equilibrium (and no hearing in that ear) — he isn’t allowed to scuba dive, etc. Have you ever seen the Zipper? This isn’t a ride for someone with poor equilibrium.

Since coming clean on our first date, nearly 18 years ago, my husband has not been on a ride with me since. My only hope is my children! My oldest is now 6, and finally big enough to go on some real rides with me. Last summer we went on the now-retired Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens in Virginia, and this summer I am looking forward to a trip to Hershey Park. Although, I have to admit I am much more hesitant now than I used to be. Not sure if it is age or the mommy in me, but the thrill of the ride now has to combat these foreign fears of putting myself and my kid in harm’s way. What if the buckle is loose as we round a loop? That stuff never happens, right?

I have no idea what the stats are… though I am guessing the ratio of death by amusement park ride to the amount of people that actually go on the rides is ridiculously low. Still, yesterday it was reported that a space shuttle simulator ride crashed to the ground at a popular amusement park in south China. Six people died and another ten were injured. A simulator ride? Really? Because that kind of ride wouldn’t have even phased me in the least… my fear about my daughter’s safety on a ride like that wouldn’t have raised a single red flag. But now it will! Actually, come to think of it, a lot of those simulator rides are pretty lame anyway. Note to self: Skip them!

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Tags: art & entertainment, family & parenting // 2 Comments »