Childbirth is an amazing thing. Forget about bringing another human being into the world. Forget about the miracle of birth. Im talking about LABOR! I hear stories about women being in labor for eight, ten, even twelve hours. And were talking about contractions, sweat, and pain. Twelve hours is a heck of a long time to be "uncomfortable"heck, its a long time to be doing ANYTHING, even if it feels good.
I discovered that fact for myself during a recent visit to an amusement park. My three friends and I spent ten hours "riding the rides" at Hershey ParkI love amusement rides, especially the roller coasters. We got to the park around 11:30 am, presented our tickets at the gate, and immediately got in line at the first roller coaster. A sign warned us of a thirty-minute wait. However, the wait was worth it. Aptly named, "The Comet" hurled us through time and space, practically at the speed of light.
Then it was off to the "Coal Cracker", a combination of a roller coaster and a water flume. The four of us guys were squeezed into a log boat. As the smallest guy by weight, I was forced into the front seat of the boat. What a mistake! Our combined weight thrust the boat deep into the water. When we came down the last slide into a large pool of water, our boat practically submerged, and it seemed that sixty-nine gallons of water ended up in my lap! While it was refreshing, it also meant that my shoes and socks squished for the next three hours.
Next was the "Sooper-dooper-looper", a roller coaster featuring a complete, 360 degree revolution. John and I boarded the ride, leaving Ken (with my camera) safely on the ground. Barreling down the tracks, we waved to Ken as we entered the "Death Loop". We did it! We left the ride, only to be met at the exit by Ken, wearing a sheepish grin. "Youll have to ride it again," he explained. "I missed getting the picture." Biting our tongues, we got back in line for the ride (after explaining to Ken once again how to use the camera). The second trip was successful, making John and me DOUBLE-sooper-dooper-looper riders.
The hours were racing by, as we raced around the park, riding rides and seeing shows. All of a sudden, it was nine oclock, and there was only enough time for two more rides. We were saving "The Wildcat" (Hersheys wildest ride) for last. So we decided on an "easy ride": Giant Food Stores Giant Wheel. Basically, it was a Ferris wheel, on which the individual cars could spin around. The passengers in the car actually control the speed of the cars turning. John, Ken, and I got into a car with two little girls. One girl was probably eight, and the other one was ten. "We are going to spin", they announced as we sat down in the car. Yeah, kid, fine. As soon as the ride started, they started spinning that wheel in the middle of the car. Our car wasnt the only thing that started spinning...so did my stomach. I became extremely nauseous and, after a few moments, I spoke up.
"Little Girl, lets stop spinning the car for a while." (no response from the little girl).
"Little Girl, Im not feeling too well. Please stop spinning the car so fast." (again, no response).
"STOP SPINNING THE CAR, BEFORE I THROW UP!"
At this point, she simply told me to "barf on my friend sitting next to me". Desperate, I had to take drastic measures. I started to make gagging noises in her direction. She quickly stopped spinning the car, and moved as far away from me as she could.
And the rest of the ride? It was quite pleasant, if I do say so myself!
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8/22/97 Issue. Copyright 1997 by CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. All rights reserved.