[MD] Roller Coaster Moon

[Louise Pryor]

I don't like roller coasters. Nope. Not a bit. It's a thing I discovered in
my teens. I went to Disneyland, Great America, Marine World, Knotts Berry
Farm - and somewhere in there it hit me. I don't enjoy these rides. In fact
I hate them. And I never went on one again. I still went to the amusement
parks with my friends, but I waited at the exits of the rides, and nothing
anyone could say would change my mind.

"chicken? chicken!" they'd say.
"sure". They couldn't get a rise out of me, so they let me do my own thing.

So I married this man who loves this roller coaster. A man with whom life is
uncomfortably, exasperatingly, invigoratingly similar to a roller coaster
ride. I've learned a lot in my almost 21 years of marriage to him. One of
those things is how to let go somewhat to my preconceived notions of what
might be best.

In our 21 years I'm sure I have ridden the Big Dipper with him at least a
couple of times - he's the only one who ever got me to do what I would NEVER
do. This last time, though, when we rode together on Tuesday, is the first
time in a long time, and the first time since I have adopted my new outlook
on life - sort of a Taoist outlook. I decided that if he wanted me to, I
would go, and I would scream.

It was very freeing. I am a shy, relatively quiet person. The drops are what
I really hate about rides like that. I never knew what to do with them - or
with myself while experiencing them. It's such a completely out of control
feeling, and I really hate that. So, on the uphill I took a deep breath, and
when we started the free-fall down I let loose a scream that went on and on,
and on. I screamed out all my out of control-ness and dislike for the
situation, and it actually felt good. My throat has been a bit horse ever
since, but it was worth it.

Unlike him, I didn't think about the MoQ at all. I did try to look at the
moon on the ocean, but mostly I just wanted it to be over. And it was
surprisingly short. I was just a little dissapointed that it was over so
soon - now I couldn't scream anymore. Maybe that's why people like those
things - it gives you an acceptable place to just let out a good, long,
heartfelt scream at the world.

That's the part I enjoyed.

Lu