Coming Along

Hi, I'm Allie and I'm a control freak.

Hiiiiii Allie!

There are many things I am, a control freak is one of them. I am also impatient, sensitive and ambitious. Most of these traits are for my own good.

During the weekend, I literally admitted aloud that I am a control freak...multiple times. One of them, I was able to finally just let go. For instance, friends and I went to a water park in upstate N.Y. Let me just be the first to say how much I hate rides that spin, regardless of velocity and physics if it spins I want nothing to do with it. I just hate feeling absolutely out of control and spinning has a tendency to make me have an anxiety attack.

Henceforth, friends and I were in line for the big family tube ride when I noticed that the water park attendant was spinning the tube to push it down the slide...to my chagrin, my friends were comforting me that I would be fine and I would get to the bottom safely. Luckily, a new water park attendant came on duty to relieve the Toxic Spinner before our group was up. Phew!

"Um, excuse me, could you do me a favor," I asked as I eerily stepped into the tube. "Could you not spin the tube that much? I have a thing..."

Me at Coney Island holding friends bags, since I "don't do rides."

Surprisingly, she didn't look at me like I had 5 heads, nor did she laugh in my face for my childish request. She obliged. Granted, it did take our family tube a tad to pick up speed but I ended the ride spin free and exhilarated that I conquered a slight fear (considering I had no control over the tube once it hit the slippery slope).

When I stepped out of the tube, I felt like a million bucks and I said aloud: "That wasn't bad at all!" I really made a big deal out of nothing. For those of you who know me, you will know that I don't do this often (ha!).

The moral of the story is this: face your fear.

Stare down the barrel of the gun, jump off the high dive, pee into the wind!

And maybe go down a family tube slide at a water park, and not ask the attendant to spin you around. It does feel good to relinquish control sometimes, panic attack excluded.