The Ride

I wish I could have captured the moment on video. My two children spinning on two flower like chairs at the playground. I wish I could save the video to show them years later to say, this is who you are, this is who you have always been, so don't find it and enjoy, or don't enjoy, the ride.

The spinning ride looked harmless as Josie and Owen approached the short poles with a flower like seat on top. Both Josie and Owen climbed up in unison, but their reactions could not have been more different.

Josie has been on one before so as soon as the flower started to spin slightly to the right, she remembered. And started whimpering. And as it spun faster and faster her whimper became a wail. I think more than anything, she was disappointed in herself for giving into the flower's attractive form and colors. She knew better than to get on something she couldn't control.

Simultaneously, I watched Owen begin to spin faster and faster and with each turn his laugh got louder and longer until both his laugh and his movement were strong and continuous. His laughter was also contagious. I couldn't stop laughing as I pulled my screaming daughter off of her turning torture chamber. Even Josie, with feet on the ground and far from the flower, started laughing.

I finally pulled him off. "AGAIN! AGAIN!" he screamed. His hair was standing up. His eyes were crossed. His equilibrium was shot. But he wasn't done yet.

Josie and I sat on the slide. Together, we watched Owen. Together, we laughed. And together, we were thrilled that we weren't on the flower. Both of us were perfectly content watching Owen squeal as he spun in circles with no control over his movements and not a care in the world.