Life Is A Rollercoster

Inspiration: To be fearless, grounded and present; always :)

For years, I have been wanting to go to Coney Island. Not really sure why, maybe just to reconnect with the kid in me who used to enjoy going on rollercoaster rides. It has been many years since then, well over twenty.

This past Labor Day was no ordinary day, but a Cyclone kind of day. A friend of mine suggested we go, and initially I was hesitant because it was a holiday. There is no time like the present, right? So I went outside of my comfort zone and said "yes" on a Holiday weekend. From the moment we stepped off the subway steps onto the streets of Coney Island, I felt extremely peaceful.

After having some pizza, which btw, I haven't had in over a year, I felt myself letting go of my rigidity and structure. A brief stint on the beach until the rain started to fall and I knew it was time to venture into the amusement park. I felt like a little kid, with eyes wide open, filled with joy and enthusiasm!!! At some point in the day, I was determined to make my way onto a rollercoaster ride. The last time I can remember going on one was at Hersey Park, PA back in the days when I was a group leader at sleepaway camp. That and the early days of Great Adventure (70's, early 80's)  I remember fondly. Days filled with overindulging in icecream, fudge and whatever my heart desired without guilt.:)

So after playing many games of skeeball (one of my favorites) I was determined to go on a roller coaster. I was so excited and felt like I was 15 again. I opted for "The Steeplechase" since it was baby-like in it's view but not intensity. It was a short ride with an initial decent that made the adrenaline pump through my entire body. I made it. I had arrived (where I don't know) ! At a distance away, I noticed the world famous "CYCLONE", something I had heard about but didn't know it's place in history as it was now 85 years old.

My ego wanted to check it out, take a ride since I boldly mastered the steeplechase. My friend and I walk over to this wooden monstrosity. You could hear the cars rattle and people scream as the coaster peaks and drops with abandon. I was determined to go no matter what but a part of me was weary. The architecture of the structure seemed to be original, with red leather seats and one straight bar for protection. For one-minute, fifty seconds, I held on for dear life and prayed I would make my way off this thing. 

When I got off I was in a whirlwind. Spinning metaphorically. Totally ungrounded and out of sorts. I asked my friend, "Why would anyone enjoy this.?" He said, " Because their life is unfilling  and they need a rush."  This brought me back to the days of when I needed a rush, emotionally. Thinking it was normal and serving me to feel the high of being in a setting or situation where you could feel every fiber of your being pulsating at a frenetic, chaotic frequency.

I realized, I know longer needed that, or liked this feeling. A good reminder of what it means to feel grounded and present in my body. Listening to our ego often gets us into trouble. Thanks heavens, the trouble I felt myself in was for only under two minutes that day. A great lesson.

So what rollercoaster may you be riding? Does it serve you? Why do we sometimes venture on a path that is not in our highest good, for our highest potential? Think about it and have a blessed day.

With Love, Denise