A Slippery Slope

My fifth birthday was supposed to be a day I would never forget. I remember this day, but for the wrong reasons. It took place at the Jolly Rogers, a pirate themed amusement/water park combo in Maryland. I was so excited for the day, yet so ignorant of what awaited.

The day began as I stumbled out of bed around eight o’clock in the morning to see my mom preparing for the day. After a few stops for breakfast and gas, we finally made it to Jolly Rogers. I was enthusiastic to finally go play in the water. Once I was ready, I went to find my cousins and we got on ride after ride, until we made our way to the biggest slide our tiny stature would let us ride. My younger cousins were reasonably scared to get on the slide. I wouldn’t let them hold me back, I thought to myself, though knowing what happened next I wish I had.

As I started climbing up those wretched stairs, I began to feel strange. Where once I felt immense joy and glee from these rides, now replaced by uneasiness. At some point, two wooden paths were passing by one another, with the path next to me being shorter. I assumed that these would lead to the same ride, so I climbed over the wooden fence and waited in the second line. Once I had climbed to the top of the accursed tower, I couldn’t bring myself to look beneath, and all I could think about was going down the slide. Due to my eyes being closed I didn’t realize I had gotten on a ride meant for adults. While I only spent thirty seconds on the ride, it felt like an eternity. Refusing to open my eyes, I wasn't aware the ride had finished or that I just entered the pool of water. I tried to take a deep breath to calm down, only to taste the sharp sting of chlorine-filtered water, as I slowly drifted unconscious.

When I reawoke, I found myself with a stranger mere inches away from my face, pumping rhythmically upon my chest. While my life was saved, I still feel like a piece of myself died that day; my innocence. At the age of five, I was constantly pondering my own mortality. Things that used to be easy, like taking a shower and swimming underwater, became near impossible. I learned a lesson through all of it though. While I was afraid to shower with my eyes closed, my mom would help me by buying no-tear shampoo so I could wash my hair without fear of my eye being forced closed. When I refused to go underwater, she got me goggles and a snorkel. She was always by my side, with a smile on her face. I learned that no matter what challenge one faces, you can overcome it with support from your loved ones.