Life never seems to go the way you think it will. It is filled with unexpected loops, twists, and turns that are unpreventable and may make you thrilled, dizzy, sick, or excited-it’s a roller coaster.
A roller coaster is the most accurate and basic metaphor I can think of when I want to describe life. One day, everything is going up. You have great friends, the boy you like asks you out, you have a great home life, you’re active and involved in a lot of activities, and you go to a great school. Your life is constantly filled with new adventures.
Sometimes when the cart is going up, we forget that in order to get back on the ground after the ride, you must face the plummeting, stomach-churning, drop that is inevitable. You never know when the coaster is going to throw you down; you could be paused at the top, taking a breath of fresh air when all of a sudden you start falling.
You can be thrown into a twist that takes you from having tons of friends to not realizing where they all went because you were so distracted with your own situations that you thought were more important at the time. Rumors could be spread about you that aren't true, but people believe anyway because they feel that you could fit this image. You start to believe the things that people tell you, such as, “you aren't beautiful,” “you’re stupid,” "you can't do it" "you're not good enough." You begin to think that nothing good will come out of this time and you see the darkness. You are surrounded by a tunnel that seems to have no light.
Eventually, you begin to see something; something that could be a faint light. You start feeling better, eating right, taking care of yourself again. You realize that you are worth something, that you were created for a reason, that you need to cut out anything and anyone out of your life that doesn't value or respect you. You begin to figure out where you went wrong and start to fix the issues you've created in your life. You realize that you have more coming and a second chance to enjoy what life is about to throw at you next.
I have always been told that you can’t blame anyone but yourself for your actions. I have always tried to be that person that sticks their arm out the side of the cart, even though they aren't supposed to. I do things that I shouldn't do and that I am not always proud of, but I know that I have to live with. I’ve always been the one that doesn't push their restraint down all the way because I’m afraid I won't be able to get out. I’m the person that is afraid something is going to happen to hurt me or to make the people around me dislike me. I would rather put myself at risk than to hurt someone else. I’m the one that will take the outside seat rather than the middle because I don’t want you to fear, I want you to feel safe and protected. I’m the person that would do anything for you if I love you, even if that means getting on a ride that scares me half to death. I’m also the person that drags you on the ride that you're afraid of, because I know that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to doing, even if it means facing your fears.
Eventually, though, we will all have to depart from this crazy thing called life. Once the ride is over, we are forced to exit, no matter what we are feeling or what point we are at. We take it as it is; we get on, knowing that eventually the ride will come to a close and we will have to get off to make room for the new riders, which we welcome with open arms.
So yes, a roller coaster is a very cliché way to describe life, but in all honesty, it is completely accurate. I live for the ups and downs, the good and bad times, the struggles of facing fears, the anticipation of what will come next, and the mechanics behind this thing called life.
