Saturday, April 4, 2009

X-sistential X-2

I'm standing in line waiting to get on a roller coaster. No, I'm not being metaphoric, not yet. I'm actually at a theme park waiting to get on X-2 ( or Viper as it says on the car. whatever) As I rode up here I couldn't help but reflect on the different times I have been to this park. Although, this park is farther away than any of the other parks in SoCal, it is the park I have come to most often.

Since I still have some time to wait I thought "why not blog?" So I will have a series of theme park entries oh you lucky readers. =)

The first time I came out here (without my parents) was with a church group. It was very weird because I was not a member of the church so I knew no one except my sister. This was my parents' bright idea. So, while my sister spent the da with people her age who loved her, I wandered the park by myself. Rejected by those in my age group.

Why?

Let's just say, the group we went with was not very...diverse.

In any case, fast forward several years and I'm in college and living with roommates. However, most of my evenings are spent in Irvine with friends. When they suggested we go to Fright Fest I was a little if-y considering my last experience at the park, but my friends assured me we would be partnered up. There was also this guy that I kind of like who would be my "ride buddy" It was alot more fun than my 1st experience.

Fast forward a couple more years. I hang out with a different crowd, more involved with the school, and working hard to finish. I'm dating a younger guy and I come to the park with him, my closest friend, her boyfriend and my buddy Oscar. Things are kind of strained between my friend and I, but I chalk it up her just dealing with life and other personal issues. She assures me that she's fine and so I trust things will be ok. My date is scared of rides. He screams like a girl and gets made fun of by little kids. This isn't too bad this just means someone holds my bag while I ride with Oscar. During the trip the park loses electricity and we're all asked to leave. As we walk out, we're each handed free tickets to return on another day. The free passes are good undil December 31 of that year.

About 8 months later and it's the end of the year. The season passes and free passes from months ago are on the brink of expiration. I plan a spur of the moment trip so the tickets do not go to waste but the line up has changed. That friend months ago is no longer a part of my life, the result of a bitter faling out. The guy dated is now my boyfriend, but I was't happy. The sweet gestures and compliments have turned into negative remarks about my weight and disapproving glares. However, I figured things would get better. So our altered group (Oscar, Maria, bf, Don and I) all head out to the park. Initially, the plan was to go early in the morning bt after a leisure luncheon at one of our favourite Asian restaurants we headed towards Valencia. We were caught in rush hour traffic so that when we arrived the sun was coming down. I still have pictures from this outing my smile belies my true feelings of that day. The constant fat comments pulled me into an unexpected depression. The closing of that year...

That was years ago, and here I am now. My life is just as different now as it was in every other instance that I have come to this park. The old bf is long gone, and the current one has an interesting set of circumstances. Despite my occassional reservations, truth be told I know that he loves me and I love him. So I weather this ride with it's loops and twirls even though it's scary sometimes.

I also work full time for an advertisng company and I still have artistic aspirations. At this point in my life I am more self-sufficient and self-relient than I have ever been in the past. Maria's circumstances have changed, and Oscar's still around but this time I came without either of them.

So what was the purpose of this long winding entry aside from killing 2 hours while I waited for X2? Just reflecting on the changes in my life, and the hurdles I have crossed. I now realize after seeing how far I've come that the current obstacles I face are not insurrmountable.

With all this in mind it's time for me to climb aboard and hold on for another ride ;)

~Posted From My Black Jack II

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