It was during the summer of 2010 when I finally got over my fear of waterslides. As we were getting off the bus and stood in line to get our bags checked I looked at the rides and started to get nervous. I walked up to the long white table and handed my bag to the lady on the other side. She looked at me suspiciously in the eye, opened up my bag, peeked inside, and then handed it back aggressively. As I walked through the big metal gates I looked up at all of the rides. My heart skipped a beat when I saw all of the twists and turns of each ride. I walked towards a table and put my pink bag with down with the rest of the camp.
I got with my group and we jumped into the Lazy River. As I got myself caught up with my friends, Counselor Thomas called our group out. We all discussed about which ride we would like to go on first. I nervously sat down and listened, not quite ready to go onto any of the rides just yet. After what felt like an eternity they finally decided to go on The Storm Rider, or as some people call it “The Toilet Bowl”. Nia, wearing her green camp T-shirt like everybody else and her blue board shorts skipped up to me, looking as happy as any person can be.
Hey! Want to go on the ride with me, Charlie, and Counselor Kevin? ”, she asked excitedly. “UmmN-“, I hesitated and thought, ‘What if they make fun of me for being scared of rides? ’ “Sure, why not! ”, I blurt out. Wait. What!? Where did that come from? I don’t want to go on the ride! “Ok YAY! ”, Nia exclaimed, “Charlie! Grab a floaty please! ” Charlie and Kevin fished out a big rubber foatly and started hauling it up the stairs. Nia and I followed along. As we waited in line, I listened to the people on all of the other rides scream.
I thought about running down the stairs and not going on the ride but I knew that I couldn’t do that. We climbed all the way to the top of the steps. I looked down at the yellow and blue frightening ride and panicked a little when I saw the steepness of the drop. Kevin and Charlie put the floaty in the circular tub that marked the beginning of the ride. We all climbed in and listened to the tall, tan lifeguard for the safety rules. The more he talked, the more nervous I got. I gripped onto the rubber handles on the seat. All of a sudden I heard the lifeguard ask, “Are you all ready?
Charlie, Nia, and Kevin all exclaimed, “Yeah! ” I held on tight and braced myself for what’s about to happen. Right as the lifeguard was about to push us down the ride I closed my eyes and prayed to God that I wouldn’t embarrass myself. I opened my eyes and down we went. “AHHH! “, I yell frightened with how fast we were going down the huge drop. Nia, not having a tendency of screaming on rides, laughed the whole way down, “Hahahaha! ” “Eep! Eep! ”, Charlie exclaimed, screaming his head off like a little girl.
I listened to Kevin scream, “Ahhh! all of a sudden he changes the screaming to, “Oh my God! ,” and then to, “Holy crap! ” I looked at everybody and started laughing. Not just laughing at their reactions and screaming but at how funny we all looked. Our green shirts, wet from the Lazy River, peeling off our skin and filling up with air, Nia’s hair flying everywhere, and last, how funny our faces looked. We finally got flushed out of the tube and into the circular bowl. We all ended up laughing as we spun around the bowl, the wind and salty tasting water splashing in our faces.
We went around the bowl a few more times before we dropped down a little dip and got thrown into the lazy river. That was the day I got over my fear of water rides. I thought the ride was going to be scary, but it ended up being very fun and we all went on again. I got to enjoy the rest of my day because I wasn’t scared anymore. I am now really happy that I went on the ride and I think that if I didn’t go on then I would have never gotten over my fear. Once I got off the ride I wanted to go on every ride and I didn’t want to leave. I felt proud of myself that day.
