The Best Wash

Raise your hand if you need a car wash. It’s one of my least favorite ways to spend money. Oh sure, I could hand wash my vehicle, but car washes are so darn relaxing. Swish, swish, swish, I can hear it now. There’s something soothing about the big brushes and spongy flaps sliding across the windshield, and who doesn’t enjoy the few moments of peace and relative quiet. Too bad it only lasts about five minutes. Somebody should design a car wash that, once you reach the end, goes in reverse to prolong the experience. Watch how this business takes car washes to a different level:  

                                             http://youtu.be/JSAzhHJWiC4

There’s nothing relaxing about that—unless you’re hypnotized by lasers. Well, we’ve discussed the car’s exterior. What about the inside? Take a look at your car’s floor, backseats, and dashboard, and don’t forget the trunk—who knows what’s lurking in there (last week I found a tiny container of old blueberries in mine). I find it much easier to clean up a vehicle’s outside than its inside, and the same holds true for us. Spring’s not far off. Soon we’ll be focused on our appearance in beach attire, but what about our insides? What’s the best internal change you’ll tackle to create a new you?

Rowdy Bumper Car Recreation

Have you been to an amusement park this summer? It’s our family’s civic duty to visit at least one or two parks per year, but we’re under our annual quota. Several weeks ago I rode an updated version of the classic bumper cars. It was a fun ride, except the experience transported me to my childhood days when my car would freeze-up a corner (yeah, that was me). Back then, I twisted and turned the wheel, hoping the right combination of moves would free me from my time-out. Meanwhile, as the other drivers whizzed around the enclosure banging and crashing into one another, the sounds of whirling motors and maniacal laughter burrowed into my brain. Eventually, a fellow driver’s merciless bump freed me, but by then the ride was over. Oh, those wonderful amusement park adventures! Some people shouldn’t ride the bumper cars. Watch this:

                                             http://youtu.be/gV0tURvq9WY

 That’s probably not what the retailer had in mind when they stocked the store with motorized carts. As you can see, it’s never a good situation when bumper car playtime leaves the protected area of an amusement park. What activity do you wish you could do without worrying about social or political boundaries?       

    

Rock Climbing with Teacups and Coasters

Summer is the primary time for visiting amusement parks. My informal research tells me that people either love roller-coasters or they gravitate toward the swirling teacup and saucer kinds of rides. I wonder if these preferences correlate to how people approach life situations. Pause for a moment to see this generalization applies to you. Here’s the first half of my theory: People who enjoy roller coasters feel comfortable soaring into new situations without needing to know every twist and turn of how the overall plan will work out. Part two of my theory says that tea cup riders prefer predictable patterns with clear, big picture perspectives.

With roller coasters, it’s difficult to see the whole ride at once amidst the tangled mass of tracks. When I agreed to try the roller coasters this summer, somehow the ride operators forgot to provide a detailed roadmap of the tracks. Personally, I like the ability to predict when I’ll be twirled and flipped. There’s nothing like a tiny bit of control on an amusement park ride to ease my quivering heart. So, rather than cringe at every dip and loop, I found a way to control the situation—I closed my eyes. Believe me, that tactic doesn’t make a nice souvenir picture.

          

Are you an adventurous, roller coaster person who embraces unexpected circumstances in life or are you a more controlled, teacup rider who prefers a road map and a plan? Here’s a person willing to tackle the thrill and chills of adventure and unpredictability:

What’s the most unpredictable event you‘ve experienced and what lesson did it teach you?