Surviving the New Texas Giant

Short personal essay

Have you ridden a rollercoaster that someone has died riding?

I have. But, I didn’t know that until I’d been “buckled” in at the top. I’d handed over my glasses and pink fanny pack to the nonchalant, pimply-faced, bored teenage attendant. He snapped red plastic into place over our full torsos.

Carrie was having second thoughts. She wasn’t sure if he’d snapped her in correctly. She told me about the death. I gulped. We’d waited in line close to an hour.

I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to seize the opportunity to prove to myself I could ride a roller coaster at age 40.

I was talking her down and wondering if we should call him over for a second check. Too late.

Carrie inhaled sharply as the motor started whirring. A safety recording piped in through the speakers. We began moving.

I tightened my eyes. I couldn’t see without my glasses anyway I reasoned with myself. I held tight to my thighs. No oh-shit bar in this modern roller coaster.

My stomach lurched down to my feet, up to my throat and repeated the loop. My butt sailed off the seat. I hoped I wouldn’t fall out.

It’d been twenty years since I rode the Silver Bullet at Frontier City. Six Flags in 2019 was a level-up I hadn’t anticipated.

“Look, Aimée, Look!” Carrie was enjoying the ride now, taking in the amusement park. She tried to coax me into opening my eyes.

I was terrified.

For one brief moment I peeked through half-opened eyes and then snapped them shut again.

I think I must have felt like my mother did when I talked her into riding the Wildcat two decades ago. She was pale as a ghost and jello-legged when we exited. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into that! Never again!” She was not amused.

Like her, I thought never again.

I’m proud I rode a rollercoaster — the biggest one I’ve ever ridden — at age 40. But, YouTube videos of rollercoasters will be enough for me from now on.

5/5 on realness with this one!

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