Spiritualevity: Roller Coasters, Thrills, and Life

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Roller Coasters, Thrills, and Life

Image via WikipediaSpeed, screams, drops, laughs, curves, adrenaline, noise, fear, up and out of your seat air-time, exhilaration, nothing beats a roller coaster for many of us. It reminds us that we are alive.

I think, for me at least, a big part of that thrill is the excitement of being vulnerable, subject to being knocked around by the sudden changes in direction and g-forces that the ride dishes out. I get the illusion of being out of control, as if something could go horribly wrong at any moment. I get all of this but at the same time, I get the security of a lap bar and a seat belt, thrice daily safety checks and fail safes built into the ride to keep me from ever really being in danger. I can relax and enjoy the stimulus of vulnerability at very little true risk to myself.

These thrills are so much fun that we spend admission, food, parking and souvenir money to ride. It seems like when the seat belt comes off though, when we face vulnerability and loss of control among one another, the fear is too much. We go from being willing riders waiting in line to frightened isolationists running for the comfort of solitude or superficiality rather than enter willingly into the unknown of truly honest relationships.

I have found such depth in my relationships once I decided to try my best to live transparently in them, to relish the thrill of vulnerability, the excitement of feeling like this could all go horribly wrong at any moment. I need to push through my tendency to imagine worst case scenario outcomes and be honest about who I am, how I feel, what I need, where my boundaries are and what I wish for. All of those roller coaster emotions are available to me in my relationships too. The same thrills, the same exhilaration, the same adrenaline, they will come and they will fill the interaction between me and others with a sense of excitement about life and growth in the relationship. They will heighten and sharpen the senses.

Letting go of the fear though, there is the rub. There are some that do not ride roller coasters. That is OK for them, but I long for the excitement. The risk is worth the ride. Open up, get on, seek the thrill of a vulnerable and transparent relationship. Who needs a seat belt when the very nature of the Universe is to encourage and promote love and life?