Sea Side Amusement Park

Do you remember the fun we used to have here? The unerasable smiles on our faces? Everything disappeared here. Our problem and worries vanished at the sight of bright twinkling lights and the smell of funnel cake.


This was were we first met, remember that Ruth? It was 1939, I had just turned fifteen. The boys and I came here to celebrate at the new amusement park. Sea Side Amusement Park, thats what we used to call it. It was like nothing the town had ever seen.  The whole gang of us, Mickey, Jerry, Fred, Ricky, and Hugh... I was waiting in line for the tilt-a-whirl with Jerry and Fred when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and there you were. You said, “Excuse me Mista, could I borrow five cents for some cotton candy? I can pay ya back next week.” Without hesitation I gave you my last five cents. After that I figured I wouldn’t ever see you again, so the next week when I saw you there you could imagine my surprise.


But that’s all going to be gone soon anyway. This park that we held so near and dear to us is being knocked down to build some sort of new shopping complex. Even after the rides stopped running and the game booths gave away their last toys we always came back. Every year on our anniversary, we would walk through this park and remember. But now that you are gone, this park is all I have left of you. And they want to take it away. Ruth, I am scared I don’t want to forget all the fun we had here. Like right over there! The gazebo where we would all sit, us two, Mickey, Fred, Jerry, Mary Sue, even Annie from time to time. And over there! Right next to the House of Mirrors was where we had our first kiss. Right there, was our bench. I carved our names inside a heart so that every time someone would walk by, they would know that Ruth and Joe were in love. This park was our sanctuary, even in grief we still found it beautiful.


After Fred, and Mickey and even Annie’s funerals we came here. We held each others hand and remembered the fun we all used to have. And then you died, Ruth... I don’t know if it was meant to be, or God’s cruel way of saying “Enough.” It was our anniversary, we were supposed to come here together, but instead I came here alone. Without your hand to hold I sat in the rotting gazebo and remembered. I remembered how you would fixed your hair after riding the tilt-a-whirl, how you would hold my hand as we walked through the side show tent, and how you smiled after that first bite of cotton candy. This place is a kingdom of memories to me, and they want to take it away. So is the world losing is beauty or am I too old to see its colors?


The world today is speeding by me, these kids today on their laptops and IPhones. They lost interest in things like amusement parks, and old fossils like me.They have forgotten that our generation broke our backs to get them where they are. And what did that get us, Ruth? Huh? A big nothing thats what it got us.I think I might ready to forget. Forget the wars I’ve fought, the friends I’ve lost, the pain, the heartbreak  I’ve have suffered. And you were right by my side. We’ve been through it all, our lives like the ups and downs of the Rocket Roller Coaster.  But now  “we” is “I” again and I am tired of being here alone. I want the old gang to be back together, I want to be able to hold your hand again and smile.  I miss you, doll. But I am starting to forget... maybe thats a good thing.  

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