Helpless at the Amusement Park

I am on an amusement park ride that slowly takes its passengers to the top of the tower.  
I am seated on one side and my child is seated directly behind me on the other side.  We fasten our safty harnesses and we begin to slowly move upward. She's never wanted to go on this ride before.

With every foot that passes, the fear of heights kicks in.  The higher we go, the more I start to get concerned about what’s going on.  Because we are so very alike, I assume that child of mine is beginning to panic a bit.  She has always been scared of heights.    

Half way up the tower I do the only thing I CAN do to help her.  I yell loudly, "It's Okay Honey!  You cant see me but I'm right here! I'll be riding with you the whole way down! It will be over soon".  My daughter is a strong girl… I’m sure she’ll be okay.

The ride stops for a moment at the top. I wait in silence for a reply.  Something... Anything, to tell me she is okay.  I hear nothing at all and then we free-fall to the bottom.  I hear screaming, both her's and mine.  It's over quickly and I hope we never go on this ride again.  I hop down off the seat, slip my sandals back on and walk to the other side just in time to hear the cute boy running the Tower of Terror, telling my child he's going to give her another ride for free.  She is so flattered, she forgets how scared she was before.  She forgets why it was the ride scared her in the first place…

Three more times the cute boy pushes the button, sending her high into the air.  Finally, the cute boy helps her  down, and onto another tower which is exactly the same except for one tiny detail.  The difference between the two rides is a stopper at the top.  I run towards her but it’s to late.  My child is getting into a seat that goes faster and higher while, having a shorter track and nothing to stop it if is going to fast, from flying of the tracks.   I can't believe what I am seeing.  I yell for her to get off but she can't hear me.  The cute boy has her full attention and he knows it. I hear him yelling to her - telling her that if anything bad happens, at least she leaves this world with a bang! 

He is promising her there is nothing to worry about.  He yells to her that if she wants to be with him, she has to go on all the rides in the park that have a high record of malfunctioning - sending it's passengers to their death.  She had been warned about this ride and never, ever wanted to get anywhere near it.  I am stunned anyone could change her mine.  I have to do something.

I yell and I scream but she isn't listening. She doesn't notice the missing stopper at the top or the sign posted in plain sight warning everyone the are taking their lives into their own hands. I read another smaller sign, informing the public that many people have met there doom in this very place, whenever the cute boy is in charge.  I’m using every bit of will power I have to not completely lose my temper and beat the living daylights out of the cute boy laughing at how helpless I am.

I decide to ambush the boy, running at him full speed, I tackle him to the ground.  I’m going to MAKE him push the stop button before people get hurt. Before my daughter gets hurt. For the first time I notice the other girls seated next to my daughter.  He obviously knows what he is doing...he's done this many times before.  I notice others around me who are also desperately waving. They are afraid, just like me. 

I find out he’s never ridden this ride himself. Cute Boy is a coward. I know it and he knows it. We all know.  He laughs at me and points up into the sky. 

There she was, my beautiful girl going up and down the track, each time getting closer and closer to possible & irreversible damage. He laughs and I cry.  He looks at me and proudly boasts about how easy it is for him to talk girls into risking everything for him.  It is a game to him.  I mentally destroy Cute Boy four times in my brain while I run over to the control panel.  I'll figure out how to stop this ride myself! 

Reaching out, I push the stop button.  Nothing happens.  My daughter is still riding up and down the tracks, each time gaining momentum.  I am furious and getting desperate so I beg him to get her down. Cute boy laughs again, smirks at me saying "She loves it! Dont you want her to have a good time and enjoy herself?"  Is he kidding me?! Where did this lunatic come from and how do smart girls fall for his load of crap?

He yells out to her each time she reaches the bottom... “I love you baby! Your mom left, so Just keep your eyes on me!” And she does exactly that, not noticing I'm standing right in front of her. All the girls think he is talking to them.  Something strange is going on.  They all seem to think they are the only girl strapped in to cute boys tower of Russian Roulette.  

My girl doesn't notice, or ignores all of her friends and family - they are frantically waving their arms.  Maybe they can get her attention if I can not.  Doesn't she know that anyone who really loves her would never put her in danger?! Nothing I do or say to the cute boy is helping.  I beg & plead with him, but to no avail. 
I push every button I can find on the control panel....until I finally realize... he's given the controls to her.  Now I get it.  She is the only person able to bring herself safely back down.  I drop to my knees and pray for something bigger than myself to intervene somehow. 

And so I wait.... 

I vow to never stop waving my arms.

I try anything and everything I can think of - I even try throwing rocks at her, hoping that one of those rocks injure her enough that she has to stop the ride and get off to seek medical attention.

But that doesnt work either.  

All that did was make her more upset at me.  

And so, I wait some more..... 

hoping to get her attention before it is to late. 

All I want is for my only daughter to leave the amusement park with her family instead of leaving in an ambulance, ending up on life support.  I want a happy ending.

I don't yet know how the story ends.
It is out of my hands.  I am powerless to help her.
And THAT - to me - is scarier than any ride.

To be continued...

I am on an amusement park ride that slowly takes its passengers to the top of the tower.  
I am seated on one side and my child is seated directly behind me on the other side.  We fasten our safty harnesses and we begin to slowly move upward. She's never wanted to go on this ride before.

With every foot that passes, the fear of heights kicks in.  The higher we go, the more I start to get concerned about what’s going on.  Because we are so very alike, I assume that child of mine is beginning to panic a bit.  She has always been scared of heights.    

Half way up the tower I do the only thing I CAN do to help her.  I yell loudly, "It's Okay Honey!  You cant see me but I'm right here! I'll be riding with you the whole way down! It will be over soon".  My daughter is a strong girl… I’m sure she’ll be okay.

The ride stops for a moment at the top. I wait in silence for a reply.  Something... Anything, to tell me she is okay.  I hear nothing at all and then we free-fall to the bottom.  I hear screaming, both her's and mine.  It's over quickly and I hope we never go on this ride again.  I hop down off the seat, slip my sandals back on and walk to the other side just in time to hear the cute boy running the Tower of Terror, telling my child he's going to give her another ride for free.  She is so flattered, she forgets how scared she was before.  She forgets why it was the ride scared her in the first place…

Three more times the cute boy pushes the button, sending her high into the air.  Finally, the cute boy helps her  down, and onto another tower which is exactly the same except for one tiny detail.  The difference between the two rides is a stopper at the top.  I run towards her but it’s to late.  My child is getting into a seat that goes faster and higher while, having a shorter track and nothing to stop it if is going to fast, from flying of the tracks.   I can't believe what I am seeing.  I yell for her to get off but she can't hear me.  The cute boy has her full attention and he knows it. I hear him yelling to her - telling her that if anything bad happens, at least she leaves this world with a bang! 

He is promising her there is nothing to worry about.  He yells to her that if she wants to be with him, she has to go on all the rides in the park that have a high record of malfunctioning - sending it's passengers to their death.  She had been warned about this ride and never, ever wanted to get anywhere near it.  I am stunned anyone could change her mine.  I have to do something.

I yell and I scream but she isn't listening. She doesn't notice the missing stopper at the top or the sign posted in plain sight warning everyone the are taking their lives into their own hands. I read another smaller sign, informing the public that many people have met there doom in this very place, whenever the cute boy is in charge.  I’m using every bit of will power I have to not completely lose my temper and beat the living daylights out of the cute boy laughing at how helpless I am.

I decide to ambush the boy, running at him full speed, I tackle him to the ground.  I’m going to MAKE him push the stop button before people get hurt. Before my daughter gets hurt. For the first time I notice the other girls seated next to my daughter.  He obviously knows what he is doing...he's done this many times before.  I notice others around me who are also desperately waving. They are afraid, just like me. 

I find out he’s never ridden this ride himself. Cute Boy is a coward. I know it and he knows it. We all know.  He laughs at me and points up into the sky. 

There she was, my beautiful girl going up and down the track, each time getting closer and closer to possible & irreversible damage. He laughs and I cry.  He looks at me and proudly boasts about how easy it is for him to talk girls into risking everything for him.  It is a game to him.  I mentally destroy Cute Boy four times in my brain while I run over to the control panel.  I'll figure out how to stop this ride myself! 

Reaching out, I push the stop button.  Nothing happens.  My daughter is still riding up and down the tracks, each time gaining momentum.  I am furious and getting desperate so I beg him to get her down. Cute boy laughs again, smirks at me saying "She loves it! Dont you want her to have a good time and enjoy herself?"  Is he kidding me?! Where did this lunatic come from and how do smart girls fall for his load of crap?

He yells out to her each time she reaches the bottom... “I love you baby! Your mom left, so Just keep your eyes on me!” And she does exactly that, not noticing I'm standing right in front of her. All the girls think he is talking to them.  Something strange is going on.  They all seem to think they are the only girl strapped in to cute boys tower of Russian Roulette.  

My girl doesn't notice, or ignores all of her friends and family - they are frantically waving their arms.  Maybe they can get her attention if I can not.  Doesn't she know that anyone who really loves her would never put her in danger?! Nothing I do or say to the cute boy is helping.  I beg & plead with him, but to no avail. 
I push every button I can find on the control panel....until I finally realize... he's given the controls to her.  Now I get it.  She is the only person able to bring herself safely back down.  I drop to my knees and pray for something bigger than myself to intervene somehow. 

And so I wait.... 

I vow to never stop waving my arms.

I try anything and everything I can think of - I even try throwing rocks at her, hoping that one of those rocks injure her enough that she has to stop the ride and get off to seek medical attention.

But that doesnt work either.  

All that did was make her more upset at me.  

And so, I wait some more..... 

hoping to get her attention before it is to late. 

All I want is for my only daughter to leave the amusement park with her family instead of leaving in an ambulance, ending up on life support.  I want a happy ending.

I don't yet know how the story ends.
It is out of my hands.  I am powerless to help her.
And THAT - to me - is scarier than any ride.

To be continued...