I love this fucking roller coaster.
There are days when everything is right. The sun shines. My kids are good. My wife wants me. People do what's right just because.
Then, there are the days when I can't win. It starts to rain the moment I get on the tractor. My oldest is holding down the 4 year old and pulling his arm out of its socket. Screams permeate the air, and my wife contemplates turning her car around and leaving within 5 minutes of getting home.
It's amazing that a bad day is just as long as a good one. 24 hours. It just feels longer.
I remember the very first roller coaster I ever road. It was the Blue Streak at Cedar Point. At one time, it was the world's tallest coaster with heights of over 100 feet. By the time I rode it, it was a dwarf to all the other monstrosities of the park. It still worked on a timer and hand brake up until a few years ago. If you didn't get in the car before a buzzer sounded, you had to wait for the next train.
I was 8 years old, and it was a 90 degree Fourth of July weekend. It was fucking hot and crowded. My parents never understood why Cedar Point on a holiday weekend was a bad idea. The line to the Blue Streak was over an hour. I stared up at that tall hill and was scared. I didn't want to be a coward in front of my cousin Davey. He's ridden these things before. He's not scared.
After what seemed like an eternity in that line, we were next up. My dad explained that I had to get buckled and pull the bar down as quickly as possible when the train pulled up. If not, the crowd and employees at Cedar Point might just let me have it.
No pressure.
We waited at the yellow line and I saw our train barreling through the last of the bunny hops at the end. It slowed, and the people at the station prepared for our adventure.
The train came to a stop and I jumped forward with fear. My cousin was cool and collected. I couldn't show how much of a coward I was.
I sat down and quickly buckled the seat belt. As I pulled down the bar across my chest, it popped back up. I pulled it down again. It did not lock! Holy Shit! I looked around. The employees were scurrying and I knew the buzzer was going to come. I started to yell that it didn't lock. The buzzer sounded. They started the train and I guarantee that I was as pale as a ghost.
Now, as the train pulls out of the station, it rounds a corner before climbing the first hill. I started to unbuckle. I was going to jump to safety.
Finally, my dad notices what I'm doing (as he is sitting in the car behind me).
What the hell are you doing? The bar doesn't lock! You'll be fine. Just hold it down.
By now the train was climbing. I tightened that belt as tight as it could get. I grabbed onto the bar with my cousin's help and we held it down as far as it would go.
As the train crested the hill, I shut my eyes.
We were off.
Let me tell you that I was stubborn as a kid. When I decided that I didn't like something...I fucking hated it. But this thing was fantastic. I felt my stomach in my throat as we picked up speed and shot down towards the ground and in my thighs as we went back up. My eyes opened as we rounded the curve that overlooked the parking lot, and I even got a nice view of Lake Erie for a second.
As we entered the bunny hops, I looked over at my cousin. His face was tight. His eyes were closed, and he was hating this. His head shook as he unsuccessfully tried to curl into the fetal position on the train.
I screamed louder.
The smile on my face grew wider.
When we pulled into the station, we talked about how awesome it was. I don't know if he saw how much I liked it or not, but he sure as shit saw how scared I was at the beginning. The funny thing is that I used his strength to inspire me initially. We then rode the pirate funhouse 3-4 times before attempting another coaster (his idea of course).
I love my quit and this site as it reminds me of my first roller coaster ride. There's some very scary shit we have and are dealing with, but seeing our brothers do it day in and day out is inspiring as all hell. There are times I scared to death and hurting, and there are times when I'm smiling through the plunges.
Nobody's the tough guy 24/7. We all have moments of fear and doubt. Lean on your brothers. Get inspired by them. And, even if you can't admit it in words, fucking hold on and know that they will be by your side and they'll be happy to ride the pirate fun house until you're ready to go again.
