The Wild Mouse

When I was a kid, it was a treat for us to visit the amusement park at Arnold's Park, IA. My favorite ride there was The Wild Mouse. It's sort of like a roller coaster, but smaller and more compact. That results in sharper turns, faster drops, shorter climbs. It was wood and metal and probably wouldn't meet all the safety standards of today. Danger was always imminent. That made it all the more exciting.

After a ride or two on The Wild Mouse, we would walk down the midway or walk down to the edge of Lake Okoboji while our tummies settled. Those walks don't hold any great memories for me, probably because I found them just to be place holders until I was ready for another Wild Mouse ride.

It seems that my life of the last few months has been much like my visits to Arnold's Park. I've had a lot of ups & downs, a lot of sharp turns in the road. Sometimes I feel that I will leave my tummy behind. And then I've had some times of quiet and peace. The difference is that now I've had enough of the Wild Mouse rides and I long for more leisurely walks around the lake.

I wonder how many more tickets I have for The Wild Mouse of life and I wonder if I can give those to someone else or if I can just turn those tickets in for a refund. I really don't want them anymore. I would rather have a peaceful walk. I'm certain that times of peace and contentment for my soul will come again, but I wonder when.