Thrilling Thought #4

Okay... it is the morning of my last day. I need to make this quick so I can catch the shuttle to Universal Islands of Adventure so I can ride the last 2 roller coasters of my trip. I hope they are not disappointing (and I doubt they will be).

But... I wanted to comment on 2 things... all of the "parks" I have been visiting have a name... theme park or amusement park. Most all of the park I visited had some sorta theme to them... but not all. However... they have been amusing.

As I was thinking about this vacation of mine... I thought about what I would get out of it. And, in the past week, each of these parks have lived up to their name... and I have been amused.

With all the bad stuff happening right now... sometimes it is important to sit back and enjoy life a little and not get caught up in all the craziness that can just bring you down. I have been there... so enraged by politics, big media, the economy, social injustices... that I have brought my self to a stand still and into a deep dark place.

Well... this trip has reminded me that some days you need to take time to be amused... and to not be so serious all the time. It is important... to slow down and relax... disconnect from the craziness and take care of yourself.

So, I want to thank Six Flags and Cedar Fair and Busch Gardens... for amusing me.

And... the other thing I want to comment on... is the what is inside all of these parks... roller coasters or thrill rides. And... let me tell you... in the past week... I have been thrilled.

I have been dropped 120 feet straight down... I have been launched forward at 120mph hour 420 feet straight up and down again... I have been lifted 300 feet in the air just to be rushed back down again 300 feet... I have felt chills down my spine... and felt an empty weightlessness in my stomach... I have been dangled on a track facing 100 feet straight down with only a harness holding me in place... I have been pushed to the back of my seat by extreme g forces... I been lifted out of my seat... I have felt the wind in my hair and rain whipping my face... I have felt the adrenaline rush... the endorphins... the elation... the urge to laugh out loud... scream at the top of lungs... and the want for more. I have felt alive.

One does not feel this way on a regular basis. And, I am glad to have been privileged enough... with the ability to experience this past week... the financial and physical ability to take this vacation and enjoy all of these thrills.

So, again, I want to thank Six Flags, Cedar Fair, and Busch Gardens for thrilling me.

And... I want to thank you all for coming along for the ride. But... there is more to come... so hold on to your seats! Literally!