You think you know so much when you’re younger, but there was one thing I never understood about my dad, it was his refusal to go on any amusement park rides that spun faster than a merry-go-round. This meant, when I was a kid, there was no tilt-o-whirl, or apple turnover, or scrambler and the biggest let down for me was at Disney…no teacups. It’s not like I completely lost out because as I grew older, I enjoyed these types of rides with my friends. Then by the time I became an adult, I’d found my love of thrill rides, but sadly they didn’t appeal to most of my friends. Not a worry for this independent gal, because I would venture onto these rides on my own. So, when my daughter came along, I was hoping she would share in my appreciation of thrill rides.
The first sign of a problem was discovering that twirling my daughter in my arms, which she loved and asked for repeatedly, made me dizzy. Then, once my daughter was big enough to go on a tilt-o-whirl, which she also loved, I realized my issue was full-fledged motion sickness. My daughter is now 48 inches tall, which is the magic height at Disney World for being able to go on all their attractions. I knew this would also mean a lot more options would be available to her at the county fair. So on the opening night of the fair, we went on one spinning ride after another until I wasn’t sure if I was going to puke and/or pass out. Thankfully, after some rest in the shade and downing a shaken lemonade, I succumbed to neither and was able to continue on, albeit a little slower with the rides.
I’m not someone who likes admitting defeat, but in reality, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to continue going on the thrill rides that once gave me so much enjoyment. I cherish each ride with my little girl as if it was the last, even if a part of me is begging for the ride to be over. You see, I got exactly what I’d hoped for, my daughter LOVES thrill rides.
So, unlike my dad, I go on all the spinning rides, no longer for enjoyment, but out of love for my daughter. But the sicker these rides make me feel, the more I understand my dad and respect his decision. Yeah, I don’t like admitting defeat, but it’s safe to say, my dad was far wiser than me about knowing when to stop. So, if you see a very happy little girl with her mom who’s looking not so well on a ride at the fair later this week, know that the mom once loved these rides, but loves her daughter more. The mom will be fine, that is until the next visit to the fair or she finally joins the ranks of her good old Dad.
P.S. My daughter decided she wanted to ride Zero Gravity by herself and she loved it. So the decision may be made for me by my little miss independent. By the way, Zero Gravity is one of those rides that spins you around very fast, pinning your back against the wall through centrifugal force.
Author: Victoria Schwaner
Victoria Schwaner is an artist at heart and single mother by choice, she’s constantly chasing after time for two of her passions: traveling and writing. Becoming a mother has made it more difficult for her finding the time, but she wouldn’t change a thing and cherishes every precious moment with her daughter. Life truly is a wonderful, glorious and at times a heartbreaking journey. With open arms and heart, she embraces life and tries living every minute to its fullest.