Week 7: Controlled Chaos

It was the summer before I turned 14 and I was at Cedar Point for the first time with my best friend in middle school. I was excited to ride my first roller coaster, until I stood in line for the Wildcat. According to my friend this was a good “warm up ride before hitting the big stuff.” But as we moved through the cue and approached the car the fear I was feeling became incredibly intense. My heart was racing and I began to perspire. A lot. And that was before I even got into the car.

It was too late to turn back, so we loaded in for the ride, put on our belts and lowered the safety bar onto our laps and got the “thumbs up” from the operator. After a few seconds the car jerked out of the loading area and accelerated around the turn up to the first hill. The chain clinked and clanked as we ascended. I closed my eyes when we crested over the first major hill. I felt my stomach lurch and tensed my arms on the safety bar as we whipped back down toward the ground. I jammed my eyes shut even tighter while we flew around turns and back up and down through more hills.

It wasn’t until we came to an almost whiplash-inducing stop that I was able to re-open my eyes. The ride couldn’t have lasted more than a minute and a half, but it was pure terror being out of control, thrown up, down, and to the left and right. But it was also exhilarating. Adrenaline was coursing through my body. And as we rode more rides throughout the day I realized that, ultimately, I didn’t have anything to be scared of.

Fast forward nearly 30 years and I found myself venturing onto a new sort of "roller coaster." In the spring of 2016 I left a good paying job and 20-year career to follow a dream. While I may not have had the same physical reaction I did on my first ride at Cedar Point, there was a certain amount of fear and trepidation that came along with returning to school to pursue a degree and career in screenwriting. I thought about how much I eventually grew to love the rides over the course of that first day - how my fear turned into fun and laughter. 

As I approach graduation, I look back at my decision four years ago to return to school. I think about venturing out into the unknown and the thrill that comes along with hope and fulfillment. I also think about the rush that comes along with taking a little risk. I feel like I am nearing the top of the hill, but this time I plan on keeping my eyes open!