Today, I finally moved out of my sorority house. My brother's birthday is tomorrow, so rather than driving straight back home, I went to King's Dominion, a local amusement park, beforehand.
I was way more tired than I could have guessed. I ended up leaving after a few hours, but I did ride a few roller coasters. Anyone who enjoys wooden roller coasters can agree understand me when I say that roller coasters are some of the few things that I believe actually change a person. Not permanently, and not even for long. It's gone before you even unbuckle your seat belt to leave. But while you're on the coaster you can feel the anticipation building in your stomach. Actual butterflies, no matter how many times you've been on the ride. And when your stomach drops down the first hill, when you're staring at the impossible angle of your descent, there are few that can resist cracking a smile. The hills lift you out of your seat, and you smile again. No matter what else is going on in your life at that moment, the only thing that matters is that your hair is whipping wildly away from your face, and the wind is hitting you so hard that it practically burns your face.
There's practically no feeling like it. And if you think about it, roller coasters in general are pretty impractical. Once upon a time, someone decided that he wanted to design something that would propel people into the air, thrash them around, and sometimes make them puke. I can just imagine the notes.
"I think it'd be cool to go up into the air and then come back down really fast. And not die."
"I want to be flipped upside down in the air, held up by thin sheets of metal and slight bits of cloth."
But here we are. Roller coasters are a way of life for many Americans. They symbolize summertime, leisure, and childhood. The ups and downs, sharp turns and unexpected twists combat the twists and turns in our own lives, if only for a minute or two. And so, improbable or not, impractical as their inception may have been, roller coasters seem to be essential in allowing individuals a release from their lives. Movies and books can offer somewhat of a release, but there is always the internal monologue of the viewer, reminding themselves of parts of the book that relate to their lives. But there is no where in average, everyday life, where you plummet down a hill, then fly back up. There is no experience like a roller coaster, and therefore there can be nothing to compare it to.
I'm pretty glad that I got a chance to ride a few today. I think I'll be going back. I could use a release.
Ancient Greek tally: 2/102
Exercise: Yes
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