Roller Coasters

As the title of my blog indicates, I tend to prefer being in position to exert control over a situation. Note that I didn't say "in control" of a situation - I'm not what I would call a control freak. I do lean that way, though, and and want to be able to at least influence situations, be it directly or indirectly. That's probably why roller coasters appeal to me so much - I have to yield control to gravity and steel, trapped in a vehicle that goes from about 0-5 to about 60-85 mph in a matter of seconds. I couldn't steer that contraption or slow it down if I tried. The feeling of raw acceleration combined with the forces of gravity is a freakin' rush.

What's nearly paralyzing, though, is the slow, steep ride up the initial hill. Notch after notch, the chain drive rachets the train up the hill creating this infernal racket hearlding in your imminent desent until it pushes and pulls you to the summit, at which point you remain momentarily suspended at the apex - just long enough for you to look around, then look down and think to yourself "Oh, shit" (in a much more exlamatory fashion, of course)...

Welcome to my morning Monday, September 18th. I read in an email at work, "We have a lot to discuss." In a subsequent email it was determined we'd talk about it later that day.

Click click click click click click click up the hill we go, and so the ride begins.

Conversations that start with some form of "We have a lot to discuss," are just so rarely good or fun, and this one wasn't likely to be much different. I pretty much knew the general content of what needed dicussed, but I also knew that conversation wouldn't happen for hours. Hours of wondering, pondering, worrying, stewing, concerns brewing, practicing, rehearsing, rehashing...preparing. Hours of steep incline. Hours of being dragged up the hill. Then just a little higher, until finally we were at the apex...

Oh, shit....

And then the natural forces of the conversation finally took over. For five hours. And man, was it a ride! Dips and drops and turns and corkscrews and loops, one after another; and while the content of the conversation wasn't fun by any means, by the time the ride came to an end, I looked back on it with a smile (and a yawn because I was dog ass tired).