Weekend Assignment #240: Ooh, Scary!

Let's start with the new topic, and then double back for a round up of last week's entries:

Weekend Assignment #240: Halloween is largely about fear, defanged and turned into fun. Have you ever been genuinely scared in a spooky or fun-scary situation?

Extra Credit: Do you still dress up for Halloween?

When I was about three years old, I had a recurring dream about a skeleton-monster invading my darkened bedroom. Other than that, the only fear I recall in this category has to do with three rides - roller coasters and such.

In 1976 my mom and I visited Walt Disney World for the first time. It was fairly new then; Epcot didn't even exist yet, and there was still such a thing as an E ticket. When we got to Space Mountain, we read the warning (don't ride if you have back problems, heart problems, etc.) and opted to view a walk-through exhibit inside the mountain and skip the ride itself.

Tomorrowland reopening, Disneyland 1998.

Years later, possibly as late as 1986, John and I went on the ride together. The cars were toboggan-style back then, and I was squished into it on top of John. Worse, I wasn't really quite in the car, and not well strapped in with the old-fashioned airplane-style seat belt. To be plunged into a fast, jostly ride in pitch darkness when you're sure you're not properly secured is a genuinely scary thing. I didn't try to ride Space Mountain again at either park for a good five years after that. When I did, it was in a better designed car, and I had a blast. It's one of my favorite Disneyland attractions now.

Now, that's a scary place!

The other scary attractions that I've made myself go on are Splash Mountain (which still scares me, every time), the Maliboomer at Californai Adventure (which becomes more exhilerating and less scary with repetition), and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. That last one really is too much for me. The building facade is great, the pre-ride is wonderful, and the actual elevator drop part is truly terrifying, even though in principle it's very similar to the Maliboomer. I'm not at all sure I'll ever be able to make myself give the Tower of Terror a second try.

Oh, and the extra credit? What do you think?

Your turn! Tell us of a fake scare that was genuinely frightening for you, at least a little bit. Write it up in your blog along with a link back here, and leave a link to your entry in the comments below. I'll be back in a week with a roundup of your responses. Like this:

For Weekend Assignment #239: Message to the World, I asked you to imagine what you would tell the world if everyone gave you their attention for two minutes. Here are samples from your words of wisdom:


Julie said...

Easy: Deal with it. (Yes, there's more.)

Tall Paul said...

Be more tolerant. What does it matter to you what someone else's lifestyle is? If you're not like them, fine. Don't be like them. You do not want someone forcing you to be/think/believe like them, so don't force them to be/think/believe like you. I can't stand eating oysters (who first cracked one open, looked at the phlemy goo inside, and slurped it down?), that doesn't mean nobody should eat oysters because I think it is gross or unnatural. Why be so arrogant as to believe that you're right about everything? (Hint: You're NOT!)

Florinda said...

No one can place limits on your right to BE WHO YOU ARE. However, your right to EXPRESS that can indeed be limited - and when it starts to infringe on anyone else's right to do the same, it SHOULD be limited. To put it another way, no one can tell you what to feel or how to think, but they certainly can you tell how to BEHAVE, since unless you spend your life as a hermit, your behavior will impact everyone you come across.

Barbara said in comments...

I certainly hope that people chose who to vote for based on issues and not the email/tv garbage that goes on. I find it offensive that anyone would think if you don't vote for Obamba it was for the reasons you mentioned.
Barbara

Mike said in comments...

I've run out of time to write my post. I was going to say: Can we stop with the guns? It seems every argument leads to someone getting shot lately. Is it really worth shooting someone because they bumped into you? That really happened in Chicago a short time ago. Actually, the guy missed his target and killed an innocent girl. It's out of hand and stupid.

That's all for now. I'm getting mad all over again..

That's it for now, and it's Halloween morning. As you set up your fun chills and thrills for tonight, think of a time when you were small enough to take ghosts and monsters seriously, or you dared yourself to do something mildly dangerous, or some other fun scare was a little bit of a real scare. Write about it in your blog or journal, and include a link back here. Then leave a link to your entry in the comments below. I'll be back in a week to highlight the frights!

Karen