Well I never really needed anything growing up. Sure, there were a lot of things that I wanted and went without but I made do just fine. I’m glad I didn’t have everything given to me but really couldn’t see it at the time. I learned how to manage the money I worked for or got for my birthday; especially when I had something I was saving for. Believe me when I say it, that’s not easy for a little kid.
One time in particular I had saved up to meet with some friends on a weekend out for a buddy’s birthday at an amusement park. We had tried to do the same thing the year before but were “too young” and forced to wait a year. A full year!?!? But, it was gonna be worth it for a few elementary schoolers that tried to act like some big shots every year they got older. The plan was to have the family birthday party for him that Friday night ending with us camping out in his backyard, amusement park the next day on Saturday, another camp out that night and then going home the following day on Sunday. I guess you can say we knew how to party.
I was mowing lawns and raking leaves for whoever would fork out some cash and I saved every penny. Well, almost every penny; sometimes I had to drop a little cash on essentials like vinegar and salt potato chips or Slim Jim’s. Don’t judge me, I was a kid and those things were important. Either way; I worked and I saved, I worked and I saved for months. I almost had enough to pay for my ticket, some spending money at the park and contribute my share of the birthday boys ticket and food for the day since we were the ones taking him out. Yeah, I’m an awesome friend but lets not get side tracked. Two weeks to go and I met my goal of 100$ in cold hard cash. I was the richest person ever and felt like I was on top of the world. I knew that good things would come with hard work. Maybe I was wrong and confused for thinking the world was unfair before.
The week of the party we all met up to pick out a birthday card and buy the tickets. Everything said and done, we eagerly awaited our great adventure ahead. The party went off without a hitch and he was on top of the world when we gave him his card and explained how we all chipped in for his ticket. The camp out was great and ended with us working out our plans at the amusement park, scary stories, burping contests, talking about girls, swearing and things of the sort that is customary for a bunch of kids getting together. We had a blast and tried to stay up all night but I’m sure we only made it to 10 or 11 before giving up and passing out. We woke up cranky and exhausted to the hot bright sun until we realized it was time for a day out on the wild side; complete with big kid roller coasters and junk food. It was still too early since the park wasn’t open so his dad came out and cooked us breakfast on the grill. Feeling better and full of energy we got ready to leave and headed to the car. We couldn’t seem to get to the park fast enough but finally made it with a few minutes to spare before they opened the gates. After the parental warnings and stranger danger safety brief we were off.
We already had our tickets so we ran straight to the entrance and went inside. Having just eaten breakfast you wouldn’t expect us to be hungry but a bunch of growing boys need their junk food. We hit a small cart for some churros and stood in line for the biggest ride in the park as we ate. Needless to say, we stood out as the youngest ones there with our endless talking and excitement. As we reached the front I saw the “You Must Be This Tall To Ride” sign and hoped for the best. I was the shortest of the bunch but was pretty confident I was just tall enough for all the rides. As I walked past the sign I knew I was good until the guy working it called me out. He had me walk back and stand up against the sign so he could make sure. It was close but I thought I had it. Wrong. He said I was just a hair shy and there was nothing he could do to help me. Even the people behind us in line argued that I was right at the line but he wasn’t hearing it. I went bright red from embarrassment of the scene that was being made and had to take the walk of shame down the ride past the crowd as my friends got on. I was crushed. My friends rode as I waited and forced another churro down as comfort food. They seemed ecstatic about the ride till they saw me and became apologetic. Being the best of friends and the fact that we knew everything; we figured out a way around the system. We hit the food stand and took a huge stack of napkins and stuffed my shoes with them so I could grow a little since I was already at the line. It worked. I was an inch taller and would easily make it past the line, a little overkill on the napkins but we didn’t want to take any chances.
It was all fun and games again as we got back in line for the same ride and I Frankenstein walked my way up. I proudly walked past the sign but was called back again as he very easily remembered me from earlier. He saw that I had stuffed my shoes and got more upset than I felt he had to. He told me to wait and called for security on his radio as panic took over my body. My adrenaline pumped and I tried to bolt out of there. The problem with sprinting off was that my shoes were barley on so I did a weird shuffle, jog, waddle thing down the ramp line. People were now watching and half of them were laughing at my not so stylish attempt at a getaway. I turned to look up at the disgruntled ride operator and saw a look of confusion and disbelief of what was happening on his face. The thing with not looking where you’re going is that you eventually run into something and I was no exception. I ran right into a younger kid that was there with his parents and we tumbled. I shot to my feet and realized that I had lost my shoes in the crash that now had everyone looking on and laughing from the line. I felt like I was gonna die of embarrassment but didn’t have time to worry about it since I was on the run. I looked around and spotted one of my shoes by the boy I toppled over; who was now crying in his mothers arms while his dad was scowling down at me. I grabbed the shoe, threw out the napkins and slipped it on trying to sound as apologetic as I could while scanning for the other. I saw the other shoe about ten feet away when I heard security yell “stop that boy!”. The angry father gladly stepped in the way of my shoe and blocked my getaway with a sly smile and smug look on his face. I didn’t know what to do and just before I decided to leave the shoe for my friends to get I was grabbed by the arm and spun around by a very fluffy and very out of breath security officer. I froze in place and my world started caving in on me with the whole park watching this unfold and laughing. My heart was pounding, my adrenaline screaming through my veins, and my breakfast plus two churros were not sitting too well. I sprayed all over the security guard and heard the crowd erupt with laughing, yelling and clapping. His buddies arrived with shocked looks on their face as they looked on to what I could only imagine being quite a sight. I was defeated and wanted to just disappear, which is why I forgot all about my other shoe. One of the other security officers escorted me back to a golf cart they arrived in and my friends rushed over to see where they were taking me. Security told them to go away and that they were going to call my parents and I was being kicked out for trying to sneak on a ride, assaulting a kid and throwing up on a security officer. I told them I’d be fine and would call them later to meet up for the camp out. They tried to argue jogging along side of us while i was being carted away but I insisted and they reluctantly agreed since it was pretty simple to see that security meant business.
We arrived to their little command post and they sat me in a room. As they told the story there were lots of laughs from the other guards and some harsh looks from the supervisor. I was left there for about 15 minutes and started to calm down and realized I didn’t have my other shoe on. The supervisor told them to carry on and proceeded to scold me on my actions and explain how he was doing me a favor by calling my parents instead of the cops. I asked about my shoe and was pretty much told to pack sand as they had me write down my parents number on a note pad. This was a time before cell phones and we didn’t have an answering machine so it was no surprise to anyone that they couldn’t get ahold of them. I had to just sit there and wait as they kept trying every 15 minutes. Then every 30 minutes. Then every hour. As it was getting later I was getting scared and didn’t know what would happen if they couldn’t reach anyone. They gave me a cup of water that I could refill at the water cooler. I was getting hungry but didn’t want to ask and they sure didn’t seem to care because they didn’t offer. I tried to plead my case and see if they could contact my friends for me but they were hearing none of it. As the time for our scheduled pickup approached they agreed to release me to my friends dad. I wouldn’t say I convinced them as much as it was them just trying to be rid of me. After a long trying day, I was taken to the front to wait with the security guard and spotted my friends. I yelled out and they came running over asking a ton of questions wondering what I was still doing there. We waited for a few minutes until we saw the car pull up with my buddies mom driving. She was a nice lady and had always treated me well enough, so I was glad to see her and be released from my stretch in lockdown. We approached the car with the security guard and got in as my captor “explained the situation” making me out to be a criminal without any grasp of morality. She looked shocked; apologized and actually thanked him. Thanked him!!! For holding me captive!
We were hushed with a serious tone after we tried to explain the situation and rode back to the house in silence. My mind was racing with what had just happened. After getting to the house we were all told to wait outside in the tent that was still set up and to keep it down. She went straight to her husband and we could hear her going off about what happened on our way out. After about 10 minutes his father came out, told me to pack up and explained that I would not be able to stay that night as I was no longer welcome around his son. I sadly started packing and after a heated argument with his father my friend walked me out apologizing for his parents and kept reassuring me that they would come around and I would be welcomed back when they understood what happened.
I walked home with one shoe in disbelief and emotionally exhausted from the recent events that I still couldn’t wrap my head around. I let myself into my house and made up some lame excuse about not feeling good after the rides. I laid down and fell asleep shortly after; hungry from not eating throughout the day and unable to eat at home since I was supposed to be feeling sick. I was just happy nobody noticed I was a shoeless wreck. The weekend passed without any news from my friends and by the time I hit school the story had spread like wild fire. I knew you couldn’t keep something like that quiet but still prayed all Sunday, apparently to no avail. I still wasn’t welcome at my best friends house; and had to hear my story and the rest of the days amazing events, over and over again. They all came to a common consensus that this was a hilarious story worth remembering, and telling at every chance they could.
I worked and I saved and I worked and I saved. I met my goal and spent all that money for nothing but a headache and a need for a new pair of shoes that set me back 40$ out of my pocket; since I couldn’t exactly explain to my parents why I needed a new pair. If I doubted life being unfair before, it would never happen again.
Needless to say, I had been FACE PUSHED BY LIFE!!!