Ferris Wheels, Fun, and Fireworks

I'm currently watching this documentary about amusement parks. I don't think I like amusement parks very much, I mean, I've been to a few (Idlewild, Kennywood, Conneaut Lake...pretty famous ones at that), but I've never thought these to be the best experiences of my life. (I did really like the dark rides, you know, the ones where you ride a canoe through a haunted house? Unfortunately, my favorite one, "The Old Mill" at Kennywood has been replaced by some glow-in-the-dark Garfield-themed monstrosity.)

Oddly enough, I really like watching documentaries about amusement parks. I remember when I was in middle school, every Memorial day the Discovery channel would have marathon amusement park documentaries and I would watch them all while I helped my mom decorate cupcakes. Is that weird? I enjoy watching people have fun and talking about the history of people having fun, but I'm not really into the fun-having directly.

Maybe I don't have the same idea of what constitutes "fun" as other people. Take this weekend, for instance. Tomorrow is the 4th of July, and that means that all of Boston will be out by the river "ooh"ing and "aah"ing at exploding gunpowder laced with colorful chemicals set to music. Call me crazy, but fireworks do nothing for me. Instead, I will be keeping true to my Independence Day Tradition of staying home, eating pie, watching "The Music Man" (best 4th of July movie/favorite musical ever!), and going to bed early and trying not to be too disturbed by the "bombs bursting in air" outside my bedroom window.

I've decided its time I changed my patterns. Not about the fireworks--I still attest that those are only tolerable if you have some cute boy to hold your hand as you crane your necks skyward, and currently, I don't have one of those--but about the other "fun" parts of life. So here is my goal: before I turn 30 (that seems reasonable enough, right? I mean, it's four years.), I will ride a ferris wheel for the first time! And I want to ride a dark ride, because I remember liking those.

Happy Independence Day...and remember...that game with the fifteen numbered balls is the devil's tool.