"Now I know what it feels like to be flushed down a toilet."
So wrote a columnist in this morning's newspaper. He goes on to describe his recent experience of a new water slide at a local theme park. Apparently, one steps into an enclosed tube about the size of a small shower stall. The door closes and locks. Water streams down from above. An ominous voice counts down, "Three, two, one." A trap door opens dropping you 55 ft straight down, then you are shot around a roller coaster-like loop and sent blasting out the other end.
Now, doesn't that sound like fun???
People line up, and pay big $$ to actually do this!
Reminds me of last weekend when my two (supposedly sane) adult sons threw themselves off a ledge, positioned 200 ft over a canyon river - and trusted their lives to a long piece of elastic.
This was how they celebrated my son's upcoming marriage! Hmmmm, call me old-fashioned, but, a stag-night spent getting totally drunk in a local pub, and throwing up all the way home sounds quite tame in comparison! But, wait, I forgot, the drinking and the puking came later at a cottage campfire (I guess some things don't change.)
I knew the bungee jumping was planned - along with some thrilling go-carting - as a day of excitement and thrills for my son, before he takes the 'real' plunge in 10 days. I have worried about it for weeks. "Don't worry mum!" Oldest son kept telling me (I wish I had a $ for every time one of my boys have said that to me in my life!) He went on to ask, "How many bungee accidents have you read about in the paper?" I confessed I hadn't read many, so immediately googled 'bungee safety', and immediately wished I hadn't!
My husband was among those watching the jumpers, and he had strict instructions to phone me as soon as the whole thing was over, and they each still had four limbs. He reported that it was a terrible experience seeing them fling themselves off that extremely high crane!
Afterwards, our oldest son told me it was the most terrifying thing he had ever done - and he is an adventure seeker! Still confused, and trying to make sense of why this person I was in agony trying to give birth to would do such a thing, I continued: "But, as you were falling, did it feel thrilling, maybe even freeing?" Immediately he replied, "No! I was terrified the whole time!"
Then, why in the name of all that is sane, would you do it????? He had no answer ... but added he was glad he did it. What?????!
Our son getting married said he loved it! Thought it the greatest thrill of his life.
Ain't life strange?
So wrote a columnist in this morning's newspaper. He goes on to describe his recent experience of a new water slide at a local theme park. Apparently, one steps into an enclosed tube about the size of a small shower stall. The door closes and locks. Water streams down from above. An ominous voice counts down, "Three, two, one." A trap door opens dropping you 55 ft straight down, then you are shot around a roller coaster-like loop and sent blasting out the other end.
Now, doesn't that sound like fun???
People line up, and pay big $$ to actually do this!
Reminds me of last weekend when my two (supposedly sane) adult sons threw themselves off a ledge, positioned 200 ft over a canyon river - and trusted their lives to a long piece of elastic.
I knew the bungee jumping was planned - along with some thrilling go-carting - as a day of excitement and thrills for my son, before he takes the 'real' plunge in 10 days. I have worried about it for weeks. "Don't worry mum!" Oldest son kept telling me (I wish I had a $ for every time one of my boys have said that to me in my life!) He went on to ask, "How many bungee accidents have you read about in the paper?" I confessed I hadn't read many, so immediately googled 'bungee safety', and immediately wished I hadn't!
My husband was among those watching the jumpers, and he had strict instructions to phone me as soon as the whole thing was over, and they each still had four limbs. He reported that it was a terrible experience seeing them fling themselves off that extremely high crane!
Afterwards, our oldest son told me it was the most terrifying thing he had ever done - and he is an adventure seeker! Still confused, and trying to make sense of why this person I was in agony trying to give birth to would do such a thing, I continued: "But, as you were falling, did it feel thrilling, maybe even freeing?" Immediately he replied, "No! I was terrified the whole time!"
Then, why in the name of all that is sane, would you do it????? He had no answer ... but added he was glad he did it. What?????!
Our son getting married said he loved it! Thought it the greatest thrill of his life.
Ain't life strange?
