We Are All On A Merry Go Round

I don’t know about you, but I have mixed memories of merry-go-rounds.

I remember my first ride, when my dad took me to the county fair and put me on one of those HUGE horses.  When the MGR started, I totally freaked out.  I cried, I wanted off.  Why did my daddy do that to me?

A year passed.  Time for the next county fair.  When my dad took me to the county fair that NEXT year, he also brought my 2 younger brothers.  Well, guess what we came across.  Yup – the MGR. 

What do you think I did?  Do you think I cried?

Naaaaa.  I wanted to try it again!  After all, my 2 younger brothers were watching and I wanted to look like a BIG BOY in front of them.

So my dad put me on the horse – but this time I was prepared.  I knew what to expect.  It would start going round and round so I braced myself, and YES!  I can handle this!!

But then I noticed the pole I was grabbing.  I never really paid too much attention to it before.  I followed it up to see where it went.  When I looked up, I saw all kinds of crankshaft mechanisms pumping and churning.  Up and down, up and down.  Well the up and down motion of the cranks in combination with the rotation of the MGR made me dizzy.  VERY DIZZY!  I started crying again.  Daddy, daddy, take me off this thing.

How embarrassing.

Next year!

I can’t wait to get back on that stinkin thing.  I got on it, my brothers were watching.  I grabbed the pole.  I intentionally looked up.  YES!  I can do this!  CONQUERED!!!

My dad noticed what I was doing well, so he said to me “well Bobby, since you’re feeling so comfortable maybe you’re ready for THAT!”

And he pointed to this stationary ARM-looking-thing that was off to the side of the MGR.  He said, “now Bobby, if you lean way over you might be able to pull the ring out of the tip of the ARM.  And if you do, you’ll win a free ride!”

Every revolution, I reached more, and more and more.  Finally, YES!  I got the ring.  I almost fell off, but I got the ring!

Human nature.  Fascinating.  Always reaching for more.  Never satisfied with the status quo. 

Isn’t it interesting that hardly anyone rides MGR’s anymore?  What used to be a thrill 50 years ago is NOTHING – absolutely NOTHING today.

What does this mean about ourselves?  Where is all of this leading?  What does it imply about our true willingness to be "safe."  

Just thinking, that’s all.