Yesterday I had the privilege of an all-expense paid trip to Carowinds theme park in Charlotte, NC. My sole duty: to oversee the health, happiness, and well-being of 14 middle and high school youth.
In all the trip was not only a great bonding experience for myself and the youth, but a trip on which I learned several lessons.
First Lesson: You'll Never Know What You're Missing Out On If You Don't Take Chances
After riding a double-loop rollercoaster one 7th grader decided he'd skip the ensuing dangers of 'The Hurler' in favor of a Rugrats ride where you dump water on unsuspecting folks below. His companion: yours truly. While the ride was surprisingly fun (and wet), I was weary I'd be passing up thrill rides for Nickelodeon characters the rest of the day.
With some good-natured peer pressure he agreed to take on the Top Gun rollercoaster, "with 6 stomach-twisting inversions," after lunch (of all times) and loved it. I loved it. We all loved it.
After a number of 'level 4' thrill rides, he told me he never thought he'd be able to ride the rides he did that day and that if he hadn't he never would've known how much fun they could be.
A good lesson for us all.
Second Lesson: There's No Reason To Fear If You Have Faith (as well as some extra cash from your parents)
Following a life-changing 60mph, 153-foot bungee drop one 9th grader exclaimed, "That was awesome! The next time someone asks what I'm afraid of I'll tell them, 'nothing'."
The reason: he had fun. Why did he have fun? He had faith. In bungee ropes. In his harness. In God. Sure, he'd spent his dinner money on a 30-second bungee jump, but the lesson learned was well worth $12.
The next time I'm afraid... of rejection, of losing out, of failing, of falling, of being human... I need to remind myself to trust that there's something a little stronger, a little greater, than myself. Something that just might keep me from going 'splat' on the ground below.
Final Lesson: Ultimately our lives aren't determined by what we do or don't do but by how we learn from the ups and downs of each day we're lucky enough to face. Sure, we'll falter. Sometimes we may even hit the ground. But even if the strength we have is simply inside, there is something greater than ourselves that helps us up, brushes off our knees, and keeps us taking chances time and time again. It keeps us striving. It keeps us loving. I couldn't want it any other way.
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4 comments:
true ... and god is far more reliable than a bungee cord.
i still don't trust those. :)
e+
Ha. Sometimes I think our society makes it hard for kids to realize that. Heck, it's hard enough for me to do so.
I thought about the bungee drop, but I wanted to be able to buy dinner. Guess priorities change as you grow.
i've still got a lot of lessons to learn. i'm at the beginning of a very long journey
we all have lessons to learn. part of the trick is to look for the lessons in everyday circumstances.
dan, my thoughts are with you as you sojourn ahead.
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