It had probably been more than 20 years since I set foot on any type of contraption purposely made to spin in circles and roll up and down. I understood something basic about this concept that a friend later voiced perfectly: there is something about the adult brain that is not meant to be spun in circles.
And yet, it was so tempting...
I had such fond memories of the Tilt-A-Whirl. My dad would go with me when I was kid--the age equivalent being about the same as it was between my niece and I. So, when my oldest brother handed me the three yellow tickets I needed to ride, I took them.
And, the three of us embarked on a journey that my stomach is still reconsidering.
Oh, but what fun it was! I laughed and laughed... just like the 10-year-old I once was.
When the ride stopped and the safety bar flew up, I thought, 'Hey! Look! I survived!'
The crooked canter of my walk was, perhaps, the only tell that my brain was a bit askew.
It was shortly thereafter that the debate about the Tornado began. My brother and my niece both assured me it wasn't as 'spinny' as the Tilt-A-Whirl. I was torn about what to do, unsure my adult body could handle a second spin cycle. Luckily, the debate was delayed by snack-time.
'Snack time' might be misleading, for I do not mean that we munched on nuts and dried fruit. Oh no. We indulged in that carnival favorite--the funnel cake. My sister-in-law, who wisely drew her limits at rides that spin, stated the funnel cake was one of the best she'd had... not too greasy or heavy. Having sampled only two or three funnel cakes over a lifetime, I took her word. It was, indeed, quite delightful.
I thought I might be off the hook for the Tornado, but nine-year-old children do not easily forget promised fun. There was a second teaser of reprieve when the line was empty and the operator refused to run the ride for only two. But, just as we were ready to give up, two little red-headed girls stepped up, and my fate was sealed.
'You and your mom can sit with us so it will be more fun!' one of them said gleefully.
My niece replied, 'That's not my mom!' and climbed aboard with excitement.
The thing about the Tornado is, each group of four seats has a wheel in the middle that you can use to spin yourself silly regardless of what the greater mechanism of the ride is doing.
To her credit, my niece glanced over at me and said, 'Is this too spinny?' just after red-headed girl #1 started the wheel.
'I'll be okay.' I replied nervously, and then I did something else I hadn't done in more than 20 years... I prayed.
Silently, I pleaded, 'Please do not let me throw up on these beautiful children.' It became kind of a mantra as we spun and spun. Occasionally, while the girls were chatting (like we were standing still), I would reach out a hand and inconspicuously stop the wheel--a brief reprieve before one of them noticed and started the wheel again. When the ride came to a halt, I was happy I only had four bites of funnel cake in my belly and that they stayed there.
The ferris wheel was a breeze after that, but the car ride home was rough. I had to hang my head near the open window a bit to keep it together. (But, honestly, I had a lot of fun... So perhaps next time, I'll skip the Tornado or save the Funnel Cake for last.)
Thankfully, my stomach and that part of the adult brain that is so averse to carnival rides settled in time for pizza from Lou Malnati's, one of the best deep-dish pizzas in the Chicago area. And thanks to the powers-that-be for that because there is nothing like Chicago pizza!
And yet, it was so tempting...
I had such fond memories of the Tilt-A-Whirl. My dad would go with me when I was kid--the age equivalent being about the same as it was between my niece and I. So, when my oldest brother handed me the three yellow tickets I needed to ride, I took them.
And, the three of us embarked on a journey that my stomach is still reconsidering.
Oh, but what fun it was! I laughed and laughed... just like the 10-year-old I once was.
When the ride stopped and the safety bar flew up, I thought, 'Hey! Look! I survived!'
The crooked canter of my walk was, perhaps, the only tell that my brain was a bit askew.
It was shortly thereafter that the debate about the Tornado began. My brother and my niece both assured me it wasn't as 'spinny' as the Tilt-A-Whirl. I was torn about what to do, unsure my adult body could handle a second spin cycle. Luckily, the debate was delayed by snack-time.
'Snack time' might be misleading, for I do not mean that we munched on nuts and dried fruit. Oh no. We indulged in that carnival favorite--the funnel cake. My sister-in-law, who wisely drew her limits at rides that spin, stated the funnel cake was one of the best she'd had... not too greasy or heavy. Having sampled only two or three funnel cakes over a lifetime, I took her word. It was, indeed, quite delightful.
I thought I might be off the hook for the Tornado, but nine-year-old children do not easily forget promised fun. There was a second teaser of reprieve when the line was empty and the operator refused to run the ride for only two. But, just as we were ready to give up, two little red-headed girls stepped up, and my fate was sealed.
'You and your mom can sit with us so it will be more fun!' one of them said gleefully.
My niece replied, 'That's not my mom!' and climbed aboard with excitement.
The thing about the Tornado is, each group of four seats has a wheel in the middle that you can use to spin yourself silly regardless of what the greater mechanism of the ride is doing.
To her credit, my niece glanced over at me and said, 'Is this too spinny?' just after red-headed girl #1 started the wheel.
'I'll be okay.' I replied nervously, and then I did something else I hadn't done in more than 20 years... I prayed.
Silently, I pleaded, 'Please do not let me throw up on these beautiful children.' It became kind of a mantra as we spun and spun. Occasionally, while the girls were chatting (like we were standing still), I would reach out a hand and inconspicuously stop the wheel--a brief reprieve before one of them noticed and started the wheel again. When the ride came to a halt, I was happy I only had four bites of funnel cake in my belly and that they stayed there.
The ferris wheel was a breeze after that, but the car ride home was rough. I had to hang my head near the open window a bit to keep it together. (But, honestly, I had a lot of fun... So perhaps next time, I'll skip the Tornado or save the Funnel Cake for last.)
Thankfully, my stomach and that part of the adult brain that is so averse to carnival rides settled in time for pizza from Lou Malnati's, one of the best deep-dish pizzas in the Chicago area. And thanks to the powers-that-be for that because there is nothing like Chicago pizza!
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