What’s a small moment from your past that you still think about years later?
I don’t talk to my parents anymore. They have caused enough damage to me throughout my childhood, teenage years, and even adult years that I simply refuse to continue to engage with them. I am much more likely to remember painful things from my childhood than I am the good things. However, once I read this question, a small moment did pop into my head. Perhaps I remember it so vividly because it is a rare good moment with my father. The good memories are few and far between with him.
However, during spring break of my freshman year of high school, my parents took me to Myrtle Beach. We camped at a KOA (Kampground of America) and during the day we did fun, beachy things. One evening, we walked around the boardwalk. We rode the ferris wheel, road the go-karts, all the things. The whole time though, I kept looking at the roller coaster. It was one of the old-timey wooden ones and I desperately wanted to ride it. I was, and still am, a roller coaster junkie. I can’t remember, but I think we didn’t ride it because my mom doesn’t like them.
The evening continued and just as we decided to head back to the campground, I stopped to use the restroom. When I came out, my dad grabbed me by the arm and started walking quickly, pulling me along behind him. He wouldn’t say where we were going, just kept leading me from the front. Ultimately, he led me straight to the roller coaster. While I was in the bathroom, he bought two tickets, one for me, one for him. I still remember riding that wooden coaster with him. I screamed in delight on each hill while he laughed, maybe at me for screaming, or maybe because he was having fun too.
Afterwards, we really did go back to the campground. That roller coaster ride having capped off a very fun evening with my parents. It was a rare moment of enjoying my time with them before things progressively got worse at home. As Taylor Swift sings, I remember it all too well. The bad times, but also, the few good moments like spontaneously riding a roller coaster with my dad.
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