“I’m not ready. I’m not ready. I’m not ready. I’m not ready,” I repeated to myself, over and over again. The light changed to an orange-yellow color. I began sweating. For the first time on a rollercoaster I was scared. I stared at the light and willed it to go back to red. Instead it turned green and we were launched forward.

I screamed as I was propelled. Powder Keg takes you from a zero mph standstill and then propels you at 65 mph, in about 0.63 seconds. It was exhilarating and terrifying. I screamed until my throat was sore. We rode up a slope and then were steeply propelled back downward. I thought we were going to die, but we leveled out and then were thrown side to side by turns and curves. We rose slowly up another slope and then plummeted downward. By now I was not screaming and was thoroughly enjoying myself. I whooped and shouted out happily.

I was saddened as the coaster pulled back into the station. The lap bar unlocked. I exited and was so happy that I didn’t notice a stone protruding from the ground. I tripped and fell. I landed on my hands and knees. I stood, brushed the dirt from my clothes and said, “That was awesome! Not the tripping part but the rollercoaster and the turn and the drops…” I began to list off all the amazing parts for the coaster. “Do you think I am tall enough for the next rollercoaster?” I asked excitedly.

It isn’t until now, that I looking back on that moment, many years later, that I realize that life IS a rollercoaster. It has ups and downs. The world could take you places at a high speed or a low one. I no longer pity myself when something bad happens to me. I now understand that this is just the way a rollercoaster works.