Normally I participate in Sepia Saturday from my family history blog Greetings from the Past (see link in my sidebar). But the SS prompt picture this week made me think of my own childhood rather than going further back in history - and nothing to do with my grandparents. So I decided to put this post here instead.
I have actually never been all that fond of amusement parks - or even simpler playgrounds - as I've always preferred my surroundings to stay still rather than going round and round, or up and down. Carousels make my head spin, boats make me sea-sick, and even riding in the back seat of a car tends to make me car-sick... So I'd never volountarily even try a contraption like the one in the Sepia prompt picture above. It was never my idea of "fun"!
Children are supposed to enjoy amusement parks, though. So when I was six years old (in 1961), my parents brought me to the well-known amusement park Liseberg in Gothenburg (Sweden's second largest city, on the west coast); and evidently got me to at least try a slow carousel and the bumper cars:
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| Me on the right; temporary friend on the left. |
I also visited Liseberg on a few more occasions: with the family once or twice when my brother was little, and it was also the goal of a school outing or two. I know I once did go up in the Ferris wheel (with a good view over the city), but even that was an experience I've never really wished to repeat. (I'm no good with heights either.) My preferred "rides" were on the Ghost Train (in a dark tunnel with scary things jumping out at you and screaming - which on the whole I preferred to getting motion sick); and one that took you through some kind of fairy tale landscape. My memories of that very vague, but it was my favourite because it was slow and totally non-scary...
Linking to Sepia Saturday 710
15 comments:
Lovey photos. You were a very sweet little girl!
you do look like you enjoyed the merry go round, I am with you, no ferris wheels, no whirly madly anything, the merry go round was my go to and I last rode one in Savannah GA when I was 16. I would still ride one if i could get on the horse. ha ha
i get sick on things that float on water, fly in the sky and back seats of cars. I suspect something in my brain causes it because I also fell down when I skated and had trouble on a bike... our balance meter may be malfunctioning
I agree with you on the balance meter, Sandra. I was late in learning to ride a bike too, never learned to skate, and had trouble staying upright on skis as well...
Thanks JayCee. ("Long time passing..." )
When I was in my teens I could go on all the rides & enjoy them. But by the time I was a young adult I discovered I could no longer go on most of them & was limited to things like the 2-story merry-go-round at Great America (riding on the 2nd story!!) or at Disneyland, I could still ride things like the mining train easy rollercoaster, and the overhead tram, but that was about it. I've never had trouble with being sea or car sick. What happens to me on the more active rides - especially those like the rollercoaster or other rides that have a steep dip to them is I can't breathe!
I cannot stand heights or things that go around either!! I really have a problem with heights and tiny spaces. I have problems with vertigo on and off, and have been kind of dizzy for the last day or so. So you were a wise little girl!
The human internal gyroscope does not age well. I used to like rollercoasters and the older traditional rides, but sadly my head and tummy don't like any form of imbalance anymore. However a Ferris wheel I can still do, but my wife finds them too frightening. So my thrill ride years are just memories now, Sigh :–{
Like some others here who have commented, I used to be able to do nearly all sorts of rides and loved them, but when I was in my early forties I discovered my tummy was now averse to certain types of rapid movements (more sideways than anything else). Also, to be honest I find that such rides charge an inordinate amount of money for being whirled about for a minute or two, and while I am not as poor as I used to be, I just don't see the point in spending money on them these days.
But I do love a good ferris wheel, as you know from my blog :-)
You have a bit of a sceptical look on your face on that roundabout, Monica - probably knowing full well that you were supposed to enjoy it but weren't sure what was so great about it, really.
Gail, I have difficulties even watching...
Thanks Ginny... I'm more used to being considered cowardly!
Mike, mine seems to have been out of order from start! ;-)
Meike, I'm sure I'd have appreciated the pretty horse more if it had just been standing still rather than going round and round... ;-)
Lovely to see photos of you as a little girl.
I used to love the roller coasters at the fair, but looking at the latest fanatstic rides, I don't think they are for me.
Carol, I never had any desire to even try roller coasters!
UPDATE: Having posted these memories of mine from Liseberg on Sunday, it felt extremely weird to get news the next day of a major fire just having broken out there. So I put in another post about that today:
https://dawntreader-island2.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-opposite-of-fun.html
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