“That was everything I wasn’t expecting.”
Those were the first words my daughter uttered after getting off The Lock Ness Monster rollercoaster last week. Her face reflected the familiar residuals of joy, thrill, and terror.
We had just arrived at the theme park and remarkably there was no line. So we threw caution to the wind and jumped on without noticing the multiple vertical loops and steep drops.
One could argue that you should expect most roller coasters to have some inversion or another and hit speeds exceeding 60 mph. They are, after all, standard features. Yet still we are caught off guard when they inevitably happen..
These days it seems all the world is a rollercoaster. Every day confronted with some inversion of reality, dread inducing twists and turns, and stomach churning drops. Things happening faster than we like. While each day’s ride brings us safely back to the station, we are left shaken, at least temporarily.
And then the next day comes and we find ourselves on the ride again. Sometimes holding out hope that this one will be less jarring. Of course, it is not.
We seem to have a surprising capacity to on one hand know familiar and predictable patterns of behavior and at the same time wishcast that the next time will be different. That the selfish person will be selfless. That the politician will not act politically. That this time someone will be brave, show courage, act against their own self interest- even though time and time again they have failed to do so.
I have heard some in the last few weeks make lamentations such as “That’s not what I signed up for” or “I didn’t think it would get this bad.” Forgetting that they had been on this ride before.
The literal rollercoaster I enjoy in moderation. It is a safe thrill. The screams without painful consequence. After, we laugh at ourselves over how scared we were
The metaphorical mess of a rollercoaster, I’ve had enough of. It is dangerous and disappointing. After each gut-wrenching ride, we ring out our hands. It’s almost comical, except there is nothing funny about the real world consequences.
I saw a message recently, “If you want to be happy, have zero expectations of others, take 100% responsibility for your life, and be grateful for what you have.”
Of course, a good life is not just about our own happiness. It is also acknowledging some responsibility to take care of each other – particularly those less fortunate.
So let’s get off the rollercoaster, lower our expectations of others – particularly those in power – and dedicate ourselves to being more responsible and accountable to one another.
Recommendation of the Week. Like many, Ted Lasso brought sanity and sweetness to me when I watched it during COVID. My children at the time were too young to watch. Perhaps they still are but we started viewing it as a family anyway and they love it. To hear them laugh, cheer and shout out, “that is so sweet.” is a balm to the harshness of the news cycle. Check it out if you haven’t seen it. If you have, maybe dip your toe back in.
Share this with someone who maybe needs to take a break from the rollercoaster.