Fear Itself

Are you familiar with Cedar Point... "America's Roller Coast.-Ride On"? Ranked as one of the top amusement parks in the world, we are fortunate to live 2-1/2 hours away, and so we get there once a year on average. In 2003, Cedar Point debuted an insane coaster named 'Top Thrill Dragster'. Riders are propelled at a speed of 120 mph to a height of 420', then straight back down all in 17 seconds. Feel free to pause in your reading, open a new tab, google it and watch a video of this ride. The first time I set eyes on it, I made a mental proclamation, "I do not need to get on that ride, just watching it is thrilling enough. Period. End of idea."  Each year, I would repeat that mantra, throwing in additional affirmations such as, "that can't be healthy for any human body", and "I'm not waiting an hour in line for a ride that only lasts 17 seconds." But, as a genius marketing ploy, (or as a cruel taunt), Cedar Point has an actual grand stand for spectators that I could never resist, because, well, it truly is a thrill just watching this coaster. When you see the people riding, it is incredible. They LOVE it! They can't get enough! Eventually, doubt started intruding on my determination not to get on 'the Dragster'. That's probably more than enough of a lead-in to what you probably guessed after about the third sentence...I rode 'Top Thrill Dragster'. It was a blur of 17 seconds that ended with an adrenaline rush like no other. The real thrill came from what followed; the emotional high and the satisfaction that comes with facing down an inveterate nemesis. In retrospect, 17 seconds was a small price to pay.