Amusement parks, what a blast. I prefer that my favorite memories not be moments when I was terrified beyond breathing. Fortunately for me, either I was not alone when experiencing this terror, or I was able to watch the reaction of others during their worst nightmares.

Why is terror so memorable? Once you have the thrill of a ride on a blazingly fast coaster, all other rides seem to be more of the same thrill. What makes for special memories is usually how you react or how other people react.

A very fond memory is my first roller coaster ride. My neighbor friend and I knew that summer would be the first time that we were tall enough to ride the biggest and baddest ride in the park alone. We made sure not be on the same coaster as our older brothers, jumping one ride ahead of them at the gates. After the first hair whisking downhill, we went up towards the top of the second hill and felt our hearts stop. We were airborne and gripping the safety bar for our lives.

We spent the rest of the ride under our seats, both of us tightly packed below like a pair of shoes in a box. We sat up quickly at the end so that our chickenhood would not be seen by our brothers who were watching the car return.

Years later while going to the amusement park with my youth group, I noticed one of the girls was always watching boys and repeatedly walked into objects, poles, and garbage cans. Would hate to see her with a phone in her hands today. She could end up falling into a subway.

Going on the Tower Power, where you feel like you are blasting off into space straight up, the teacher next to me screamed louder than the whistle of a locomotive. At the top our feet floated towards our heads, and magically her scream turned to laughter. I was having a blast all the way up and down, but her change from terror to exhilaration stuck with me.

Best of all, I remember seeing the smiles on my kids faces as we experienced rides with them for the first time. Although I could have done without the Hulk ride which blasted us so fast horizontally that we felt like we were shot from a cannon across the park. Can I add, riding rides with my kids is still fun? Especially new ones. Moments make the best memories.

May you have a blast of a Happy Friday.