Everything happens for a reason

Anxious, terrified and full of adrenaline is all I can describe how I felt. It was awful just standing there, getting closer every minute. My heart was racing, my palms were sweaty and it felt like I had a huge pit in my stomach. I had goose bumps all over and wanted to just walk back to where I knew I would be safe and have no worries whatsoever--but I couldn’t. I guess you can call it pride or just the satisfaction of not backing out of something that you don’t get the chance to do every day; but I felt like I needed to do this. Everyone around me seemed either excited or calm or indifferent, as if they didn’t know what they were about to do. The description did say: “The fast and furious, head first, face down thrill with twists and upside-down turns.” I kept telling myself, “You’ve already been on a roller coaster before; there is nothing to worry about.” But it didn’t work.
It’s like when you are afraid even though you know it’s highly improbable something will happen and, in the end, you wished you had not been afraid at all. Well, this was one of those times and I was determined to prove it wrong. I was going to go on that ride no matter what, and nothing was going to happen to me. I was already standing in line and there was no turning back.
Despite my inner debate on whether to put my nerves aside or think about the worst things that could possibly happen, I was actually pretty distracted. The line was like a tour. While I waited to get on the monstrous 140 foot, 60 miles-per-hour Manta Roller Coaster, I got to walk through a huge underground aquarium full of string rays, sea dragons (which I never knew existed), and other creatures.
I almost forgot why I was there, since I was trying to look at all of the animals and at the same time figure out the different languages people were speaking. Suddenly, I heard people screaming and the roar from the roller coaster. I knew I was near. I could feel the vibration of the cart running along the tracks at full speed. I started to panic and was full of adrenaline again, and I wasn’t even on the rollercoaster yet. I could imagine getting pulled higher and higher, squeezing my Dad’s hand and gripping tightly on the bar holding me, while just seeing the sky and highest point of the roller coaster. I’d then drop down, feeling like I was going to fall out of my seat and my body feeling weightless, traveling so fast I couldn’t see and screaming at the top of my lungs. The line kept moving and I became more nervous than before; I started to think that I should have turned back, pride or no pride, it was just a ride.
I hesitated on whether I should turn back or just face this fear once and for all, but at the end I thought, I did wait an hour to get on this ride plus it’s just a ride. So I decided to stay and get it over with. I had backed out from the Kracken Roller Coaster which was actually worst than this one, I couldn’t do it again. Finally, when it was almost time for me to go on, I heard my salvation, my hero, and the excuse that saved me from my conflicting situation…Mr. Thunder. It started to rain, and there was plenty of lightning, there was no way they were going to let us go on the Manta. The line stopped moving and they announced that the ride was closed until the lightning and the rain had subsided.
Even though I didn’t confront my fear, I’m glad I had an excuse not to go on the roller coaster. I believe everything happens for a reason. I look back now and realize how I made such a nerve-wrecking and complicated situation out of something so small. Things are not meant to be sometimes, and I’ll just have to face my fears another day.