Sunday - April 5 - 2009
Facilitator: Lina Sponsor: Melek
*(Al Aribiya filmed this outing for a short documentary about El Rahelet – to be aired soon.)
I’ve always been afraid of amusement park rides. Anything that goes up high and spins or turns me upside down, I especially am frightful of. When Lina was trying to persuade me to go on this one particular ride - that indeed went up high, and spun around - it was too eerily reminiscent of when my brother and sister would try to get me on such rides as a kid. My stomach had that same type of feeling – scared mixed with adrenaline, all bound up in an excited and anxious knot.
“Lina, let me see what the ride does first, then if it doesn’t look bad, I’ll think about it.” I responded. However, Lina insisted I go on this ride with the kids. As she continued, I demanded that she stop. Soon, I heard soft voices pleading something in Arabic. It was 3 girls all ready to be strapped into the hanging car. Lina interpreted that they really wanted me to go with them so they could feel safe … because they felt a bit scared. They had asked for me.I went on that ride.
And it wasn’t me confronting my fears and being courageous that got me buckled in beside them. It was something else… that I can’t explain.
