Welcome to the Bob Brader Blog!
This blog scares the Hell out of me! However, I have been trying to battle as many fears as I possibly can.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Roller Coasters



I was in 9th grade when my friends and I were at Dorney Park Day for our High School.  We were talking and goofing around going from ride to ride and I was not paying attention to what we would go on next.  Finish one ride; get in line for the next.  It was fun, and I was having a great time, until I found myself in line for the roller coaster.  
I don’t go on roller coasters; they scare the hell out of me.  I wasn’t paying attention, until we turned one corner in line and I could see people getting on the yellow car, and see the bar come down in their laps, and heard the car screech down the wooden tracks.  I started to feel my stomach knot up, how do I back out?  I wanted to scream and run away, but what would my friends say, my new friends, my pot smoking, class skipping friends?  How would they react to Bob the scaredy cat? 
Suddenly, I am transported back to six years old.  We had a family trip to Indian Trail Park.  They had a small wooden coaster that scared me to death.  My father waited in line with me, and he held my hand tight.  No matter how hard I tried I could not get free of his grip.  I pleaded, begged, and screamed.
“Dad, please, I don’t want to go on.”
“You're going to love it.”
“I’m scared.”
“Nothing to be scared of.”
“But I don’t want to go on.”
“Are you a fucking baby?”
“No, I’m just scared, please don’t make me go on.”
“It'll be over in two minutes.”
The closer we got to the ride, the more anxious and scared I got.  I started screaming and crying.  When we made it to the coaster my father put his arm around me and held me down on the seat and pulled the lap bar down. 
The ride operator looked at my father and said, “This his first time?”
My father nodded, holding me in place.  It was the most terrifying ride of my whole life.   

Now I am standing in line for one of the largest coasters I have ever seen.  I must have turned white because Brian said, “Hey, you OK?  You’re not afraid of a little coaster, are you?”
I didn’t say a word.  I mustered up every ounce of courage I could, sat down and pulled the safety bar to my lap.  As soon as it took off I felt my stomach tighten even more, along with my legs.  Then the coaster started to climb and climb and climb, I felt like any minute I was not going to be able to take it anymore and I was going to jump out.  As we came over the top of that hill, and I looked down,  straight down to the bottom, I heard a loud crack, and thought for sure the whole thing was falling apart and that I was going to die.  Then the speed kicked in and we were screaming down the hill, then up another and screaming down the next.  The fear seemed to transform into some kind of euphoria.  When that coaster stopped, I felt like I had left a part of myself on that hill.  I was no longer that scared little boy and I wanted to feel that fear again and again.