In October, I went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg for Catholic Youth Day. That Saturday, I envisioned spending the day with high schoolers and a few adult chaperones mostly taking lots of photos with my camera, riding several rides, and, after dark, avoiding spooky spots and creepy people that would make me inclined to howl or scream. The day didn’t go at all how I’d thought it would.
It turned out there were just enough seats on the bus for three adult chaperones and the high school teens who had signed up. I was asked to ride out to the amusement park in a minivan with a sixth grader and his mom. We had a lovely conversation about faith, EDGE (our middle school religious education program), Cursillo, being from upstate New York, and our families.
After pulling into a parking space, I happened to check my camera. The battery was down to one bar. I’d forgotten to turn it off after deleting the photos on the memory card before leaving Richmond. There was no longer any reason to lug my camera around all day if it didn’t have that much of a charge left. Oh well to lots of picture taking.
We ended up beating the bus to Busch Gardens and easily found the booth marked Catholic Diocese of Richmond where we picked up our park tickets and blue wristbands. At that point, I didn’t know that my new friend and her sixth grade son don’t really do rides. I knew he was apprehensive about riding roller coasters, but I figured we could find some common ground.
The only ride he felt like going on was the bumper cars. He wasn’t much into going to shows, either, but since I was hungry for lunch, we ended up at Das Festhaus ® in Octoberfest Village while the Night Beats: Revamped show was in progress. They insisted they were fine watching me go on rides, so I went on a few in Italy and Germany, hoping they’d change their minds and join me. No such luck, but we were all still having fun.
Mass in Ireland
Mass in Ireland
The highlight of the day was going to Mass in Ireland. We all met up in line heading into the auditorium where the Celtic Fyre show takes place during the summer. An altar had been set up center-stage. Most groups were sitting together by parish. People from all over the Richmond Diocese were there.
Fr. Boehling presided at Mass with the help of two seminarians, Ben and Anthony, who are both serving their pastoral year in the Richmond area. Director of the Office of Evangelization, Michael School was there with his hard-working crew to make sure everything went off without a hitch.
The last time I’d been in that space was to watch the Celtic Fyre show with a friend. The set had been that of a pub in Ireland the day of a couple’s wedding. Some decorations had been hung for Howl-O-Scream, but in front of what looked to be the gates of hell was a banner of Christ on the Cross. The irony of such juxtaposition wasn’t lost on me.
I realize there are different things that scare people. For example, I’ll go on any roller coaster there. I find them exhilarating. What I don’t like is to be chased with a chainsaw or purposely scared out of my mind by some random guy, so I avoided those aspects of the after-dark park as much as I was able.
There was one year when in college when I had an inordinate amount of fun scaring people as the hidden distraction at the end of the haunted warehouse tour, but that doesn’t mean I like to be on the receiving end of such attention.
Of course, there are other people would rather not ride anything, even the carousel, but they are fine going into haunted houses, forests, or whatever and having people chase after them. Go figure!
Roller Coaster Withdrawal
I was feeling strange not having ridden a single roller coaster, yet. I thought after dinner I’d go off with the teens and adult chaperones, someone from our group who would wait in a long line and ride a roller coaster with me. That was not meant to be.
I was feeling strange not having ridden a single roller coaster, yet. I thought after dinner I’d go off with the teens and adult chaperones, someone from our group who would wait in a long line and ride a roller coaster with me. That was not meant to be.
I was going to try and reconnect with another adult chaperone willing to go on a roller coaster and as adamant as I am about avoiding creepy dolls and possessed clowns. I figured it would be too hard to find her, but, after discovering I’d left my keys in the minivan, I decided I should just ride back to the church with my new friend and her son instead of taking the bus.
I couldn’t bear the thought of spending an entire day at Busch Gardens without riding a single roller coaster, so I handed my camera and purse to the mom, and headed to the long line for Verbolten. I hoped I wouldn’t feel too awkward standing in line by myself for a long time alone, without my phone or camera.
An Unexpected Conversation and Ride Buddy
An Unexpected Conversation and Ride Buddy
In under two minutes of being in line, I heard a woman behind me say, “Who am I going to ride with?” I looked at her and noticed the group she was with had an odd number of people in it. Everyone else had paired off, but her husband had decided not to ride.
“I’ll ride with you,” I said. “I don’t have anyone to ride with, either.”
She linked arms with me, grateful to have a ride buddy. Thus began a conversation that lasted the length of the line, which was over an hour. Stella told me much of her life story, particularly the parts about how she never thought she’d get married or have children, and how she ended up doing both once she met the right person. The two teenage girls in the group happened to be her daughters. She asked me if I have kids. Of course, it made me think of my Top Six Things Never to Say to Couples, Parents, or Caregivers post.
We talked about religion. She admires that I’m Catholic and asked about my relationship with Mary. She told me she’s Baptist, but not the snake-handling, Jerry Falwell kind. Her two teens kept rolling their eyes and were clearly embarrassed their outgoing mother had latched on to a complete stranger she’d just met. I was grateful to have someone to talk with, but I could remember those years of distancing myself from my mom in public. I was tempted to assure the two horrified daughters that they’d be over such sentiments about their mom probably within the next ten years, but I resisted.
Stella and I warned each other that we both scream really loud on roller coasters. When we finally were in the station, we got in a line that had us shooting out of the station and returning before her daughters and their boyfriends even stepped onto the ride.
When we got off, my friend since that morning and her son were waiting by the photo kiosks to see what our picture looked like. Neither Stella nor I had any business cards with us, so she gave me one more hug (she felt there were several occasions for them during our rather personal conversation in line) and we parted ways.
She’d told me where she worked, so the next day I looked them up online and sent an e-mail asking if the contact person named Stella is the same person who served as my line and ride buddy last Saturday at Busch Gardens. I haven’t heard anything back, yet. Maybe our friendship was only meant to last the length of a line to ride Verbolten. I’d be fine with that.
Lord, thank you for unexpected connections and quick friendships that are centered on You. Please help me to be a welcoming, easy to talk with companion for those who are feeling alone or in need of someone to listen. Amen.
