Roller coasters...

Hello.

Contrary to their names they typically don't take you on a gentle, sweet little coast around the park. They're typically for those thrill seeking individuals who wouldn't mind seeing the theme park corn dog and funnel cake from earlier that day (they're also not mobile cup place mat devices used to keep condensation off of a typically wooden surface...though few make that comparative error...but now that i think of it, there may be an untapped market for coaster afficionadoes out there...but then again, i suppose the proper term for my idea would be 'rolling' coasters).

So as fact would have it, whether it be in a theme park or sliding your drink to the other end of the coffee table, roller coasters pique excitement! They go hand-in-hand...like fish in water. Well, maybe Louisiana and good food, seeing as fish don't have hands (just lucky fins), but the point remains. Roller coasters are exciting.

They're a lot like this wonderful thing we call life. How? I'm so glad you asked. A few come to mind:

- You're not in control. Sure you can lift your hands, tuck in your feet, close your eyes and other things to make the ride more (or less) interesting, but (unless you designed the track) you can't control where it takes you. There's a track operator who gets to call all the shots...you can ask him about it when you get to the end.

- You get out what you put in. Say you strap yourself in with a grumpy attitude, all sour and laaaammmeeee. What's your summary going to be like when the ride ends? "It was terrible! We kept getting thrown around from side to side and going upside-down. Half the time i didn't know which way was up! Grumble, bumble, grumble." (translate: i'm going to do everything i can to keep from enjoying life). Now, say you attack it with an enthusiasm unbeknownst to mankind. What's your summary going to be like when the ride ends? "It was awesome! We kept going back and forth from side to side and going upside-down. Half the time i didn't know which way was up! Happy, happy, happy." (translate: i'm going to embrace the unknown and make the most of it).

- It teaches us lessons. More specifically. It's best if you live in the moment (don't do it, Eve!). Now, don't get me wrong...the past is important, and the future is too, but all we have is now to do what we do...(i couldn't resist the rhyme. deal with it)...

- It's more memorable when you have people to share it with.

- You're gonna call on God...one way or another.

- It may terrify you, and that's okay. Fear isn't a bad thing, it's what we do with it that shapes our character.

Now, i'd like to call upon my good friends Robyn Rihanna Fenty and Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. to help bring my point across. Thank you.