The Iron Dragon -- A reflection from my past

Each day we get up, go out into the world, and have a myriad of experiences. Some experiences are planned and foreseen, maybe even rehearsed. Others are surprises, and come without warning, maybe even change or disrupt those that were planned. I've always been one to like those surprise unplanned events that crop up and force us to re-evaluate our plans and think on our feet. Each experience has a unique effect on us. Some are small and forgotten almost immediately. Others are bigger, they spark a big idea, or cause a lifestyle change, they direct our thoughts, and we frequently ponder and relive them. But there are yet other experiences, that seem small as they happen, but, without our knowing, have a significant and lasting effect on us. Tonight I'd like to recount one such even from my childhood. It happened almost twenty years (80% of my life) ago, and only in the past few days have I realized the effect it had on me.

I grew up in northern Ohio, in and around the town of Huron. It's right on Lake Erie and just a few minutes driving away from Cedar Point, one of the world's biggest and most popular roller coaster and amusement parks. Since before I can remember, Cedar Point was a big part of my summers. Our family had season passes every year, and my parents and grandparents tell me we went so often that several of the workers knew me by name. My grandpa even tells me that the Cedar Point staff knowing my name led me to believe that everyone knew my name, and when we went other places I was surprised that people didn't know me. Somewhere along the line I got that misconception cleared up. Cedar point is an interesting place for a kid. It's fun as heck to go there and ride on the kid rides and play with in the ball pit and generally have a blast. But it also creates a feeling of longing because you can't ride the big-kid rides until you meet the height requirements. Each spring before the park opened, I would measure myself and ask my parents about a thousand times if they thought I would finally be tall enough to ride such and such a ride. I even remember one year we hid little pieces of cardboard in my sister's shoes to make her the tiniest bit taller so she could get on a new roller coaster.

In the fall of 1993, after another fun summer at Cedar Point I started real school for the first time. I was in Mrs McMillian's afternoon kindergarten class. It was the real deal; I rode the bus to school and everything. The bus to and from kindergarten was an interesting experience in its own right. It's where I got my first kiss (from the cutest girl in class), had my first fight (which I won), and met my first best friend (who is the main character in this story). I'm not sure exactly when I met Josh Bender, but it was definitely early in the year, and we became friends right away. In class they called us Josh O. and Josh B. We played together during recess, learned about the letter-people, and, as spring rolled around, we looked forward to going to Cedar Point together. As usual, I measured myself more times than anyone should, and I was sure that I'd be tall enough to ride a new batch of rides this year including the Iron Dragon. My mom told me that was her favorite ride. I'm still not sure if it really was her favorite or if she was just happy to see me excited, but excited I was, and I couldn't wait to go with Josh B.

Finally the day came that our moms had arranged for us to go to Cedar Point together. We started at the front of the park riding the carousel and every other ride we could, eventually working our way back toward the Iron Dragon. We had talked about riding it together and the plan, as I recall, was that the two of us would ride together and our moms would wait for us by the ride's exit. Josh B. hadn't been to the park as much as I had, and when we got there, he didn't want us to wait in the line alone, so we changed the plan a little. The two of us would still ride together, but our moms would come along, wait in the queue with us, and ride in the car behind us. That plan was fine with me. It would have been cool to be so independent to go alone, but I was too excited to care much. It was still going to be great. But unfortunately the new plan didn't soothe Josh B's nerves for long. He admitted he was actually a little nervous to ride the ride itself. The plan slowly evolved, or perhaps devolved, from there. Next we decided we would each ride with our own moms instead of with each-other. And finally, after much pleading, he said he would wait at the exit with his mom while I rode with mine. And so it was. He waited on a bench with his mom while I rode the Iron Dragon and had a blast. Was it scary riding up that first hill as the lift chain click click clicked? Heck yeah it was! Did I secretly wish the car would slow down a little sometimes? I bet I did. Was it a ton of fun and everything I hoped for? Absolutely. It was scary, thrilling, and super fun.

When the ride was over, we walked down from the platform and met Josh B and his mom at the exit. They asked how it was and I said it was great. He seemed happy that I had a good time, and we proceeded to work our way through the park. It was still fun spending the day with them at Cedar Point, but I couldn't believe Josh B would pass up the opportunity to ride the Iron Dragon. Didn't he know how lucky he was to be tall enough to ride it? I understood that he was scared, but I didn't understand how that led him not to ride it. All he had to do was put on a brave face and get on, and it would have made his day so much more fun. After that I always made sure my friends were brave before I invited them to Cedar Point with me.

It wasn't long before that day at Cedar Point became a distant memory, and the details started to fade away. But it had a lasting effect on me. That was the day I learned that taking a little leap of faith could mean the difference between riding the Iron Dragon and waiting on a bench. That day shaped my personality in a big way. It caused me to become the kind of guy that likes to take risks and do things that scare me because they are usually worth it. That day might be why I rode my motorcycle across the country, or spent a semester in China. It might be why I moved to Los Angeles with no job and no plan.

Later that summer Josh B and his family moved away. I didn't hear from him much after that. I have no idea what he's up to these days. For all I know he could be a sky diving teacher or a lion tamer or some other awesome thing (this search was encouraging). But in my mind he's an insurance adjuster, or a stock trader who makes a steady respectable income, is nice to his friends, follows the speed limit, and occasionally wonders what it would be like to ride the Iron Dragon.