Roller Coasters

After a year or more of never being quite sure where I was on the roller coaster of life, I spent today putting most of that aside and riding some real roller coasters. Okay, well, they were the ones kind of halfway between the baby versions and the huge ones you can't even believe exist, but they were still roller coasters, and for me, that was huge.
 
Those of you who read my "Being There" post a few days ago may recall that I was more than a bit nervous about my week of adventure with my son, particularly given that top on his list was going on amusement park rides that I have successfully avoided for years. My desire, however, to make this a week about "being there" won out, and after an early lunch, I found myself with my son, on a subway train bound for the rides. I'd done the research, knew exactly what the whole thing would cost and which things we wouldn't do. And I promised him that I would do my very best to do the things he wanted to do. Which meant that within a half hour of our arrival, I had clutched on to the safety bars of three "run along a track high in the air" amusements. "I just have to survive this," I thought as the rickety cars went around. Somehow, that, combined with the ear to ear grin on my son's face from the time we walked to the train to go until practically the end of our day, got me through. Would I do it again? I'm not sure. Today, all that matters is that I faced down my fears, and after a year of life roller coasters, realized that the coasters that take you on a 90 second ride may be the scariest thing in the world, but they're not really the roller coasters that will affect you the most. It's the ups and downs, the uncertainties and the "sure things" that put you off balance every day of the week.
 
Today, I didn't ride roller coasters just because I love the thrill. I rode them because it would make my son happy, and because I have realized this year that it's okay to step out of your comfort zone sometimes. It's actually okay to push yourself beyond your normal boundaries--it's a good reminder that you are capable of more than what both you and the people around you assume.
 
Week of Adventure, Day 1--I'd say it was a success.
 
Stay tuned for further reports from our Week of Adventure....