Do you know what's good about being in your mid 50s? No seriously. Do you know? Because I would really like to find out. I'm sure someone in their mid 60s or mid 70s would give me plenty of reasons but I doubt they could help me with today.
I just woke up from a three hour nap. Sounds delightful right? Well It was more like a horrible hangover nap than a nice summer day one. The problem is, I didn't have a drop to drink. Nope. I was hung over from... roller coasters!
Today my daughter and I visited Six Flags Great America which is about an hour outside of Chicago. We go once every summer and it is one of my favorite days of the year... if you don't count the roller coasters. Just hanging out with her and talking about music or whatever on the ride there and back is probably the best part of the day. Then there is walking around talking to her at the actual park. Heck if it weren't for the roller coasters it would be a perfect day!
I'm not afraid of roller coasters (unlike scary movies that actually can't hurt me). I used to like them a lot when I was younger. Up until about 20 years ago, I still went to Great America once a summer just to ride all of the rides. I would try out every new ride. Actually I just looked it up and the last time I went on my own for fun was 2003 when the new Superman Ride opened. Since then, it has been a very steep American Eagle sized ride downhill.
Luckily for me, my daughter takes after her old man and prefers speed to loops. And thank god! Because I'd still be asleep if we did a single loop. Sadly, there is actually a biological reason why. If any of you are Modern Family fans, you may remember the episode where Phil is so happy to find out he has the flu because it means his body has not rejected roller coasters, which is a sign of youth for him. As we get older, the hair cells and structures in the ear canal become less responsive. Sudden movements (like loops, spins, drops) confuse this system more easily, causing dizziness or vertigo. So, my old body is confused. (My daughter could have told you this years ago). and I'm sure my brain is confused too thinking "Why the Hell are you doing this? You got enough excitement on the highway driving here. Did you forget how to weigh rsik vs reward?!"
But alas, sometimes as an old man you need to just tell your body "Screw you body! I'm having fun!" and you go for it. Luckily for me my daughter likes to hit a few rides and get the heck out before it gets hot. So really all I had to endure was two rides on the Viper which is a wooden roller coaster built in 1995. The fact it was a wooden coaster in 1995 was kind of a novelty. It has an 80 foot drop, no loops and gets up to 55 mph on a good day. We were able to ride that twice without getting off again. And this is why we go early! Next we rode Raging Bull which, although it also has no loops, has some pretty significant twists, has a 200 foot drop and reaches speed of over 70 mph. (We just added this one to our repertoire last year). We hit some other smaller rides and always end with the American Eagle which is another wooden roller coaster built in 1981 shortly after the park originally opened. This one is OLD (even though it's more than a decade younger than me). It drops 147 feet and reaches a very rickety 66mph. It also rattles your bones like crazy.
But I did it! I survived another trip without my daughter thinking I'm totally lame!
Any roller coaster fanatics out there? Any old people want to rant about getting old?
I'm still waiting to find out what's good about hitting your 60s..
Wait til you are nearly 70, it is fucking awesome, the easiest way to keep young and not vegetate is to hang around with younger generations, fuck hanging round with pensioners they are so dreary
I haven’t ridden a rollercoaster before, but I really admire your courage. From what I’ve seen on TV, like in Final Destination, it looks a bit intense and definitely requires some stamina, especially with all the speed and loops.
Glad to see you're enjoying your 50s, I'm looking forward to enjoying mine too 🤭
I used to get sick on elevators, so roller coasters are a great big nope for me! Finally found something we don't have in common! 😃
LOL. Give me about 2 years and then we will have this in common too!
Haha, 😃
This is golden! I'm not even 50 yet and already avoiding anything that spins faster than a grocery cart wheel. You’re braver than me! Raging Bull would’ve finished me off.
I've never ridden a roller coaster, but with those references, much less more than 100 km per hour and going downhill is a lot of speed for me, but well, that adrenaline rush, I imagine, is unique.
Yeah, it's so unique, it was a "one" and I am "done" for me. lol. I was a real party pooper when I took my kids to Cedar Point. Slap them on the back, wish them good luck, and when they'd get off, they could find me over on the kiddie rides, lol.
I am 49 years old and after 45 years I tell my children - go with mom on roller coasters, I am not interested anymore. Of course I am lying to my children and myself :) But I go with them on calmer rides.
When I was young I loved roller coasters, it was a challenge for me to do it, but at this age of 60 I find it difficult to do it. Sounds like it was an excellent sharing with your daughter. Best regards.
age is just a number that tells no much about the person, far more important is their health, personality and attitude in life
Wow, I'm so proud of those people in their mid-50s and above because even though they're old, they can still do things because their bones are still strong. Huhuhuh, imagine riding a roller coaster! Even as a teenager, I'm scared of those rides. Huhuhuh, I'm scared of that.
I think old age comes with its own beauty, which can never be compared to the other side. You become better in almost everything. Thanks for this.
I feel like im 100 at the moment
Aside the tiredness it was a beautiful experience with your daughter. making more memories
I am early 30s and i am sure i will like 30s in my 60s.
I have taken these rights. We still remember their experience today because when we friends used to go, we were all very happy and we have seen people here in many films