Brilliant … But Bouncy

We Will Rock You!

We spent our vacation riding roller coasters. We stormed through every one at Kings Dominion, and then we spent a day at a water park and three additional days at Busch Gardens.

It was a very good vacation. We love roller coasters, and to say we overdid it would be an understatement. But it is a happy understatement.

At one point, in all of our enthusiasm, we were standing in line and heard someone on the roller coaster stomp twice and clap, stomp twice and clap – the universal beginning of the spectacularly contagious Queen song, We Will Rock You.

BOOM BOOM, CLAP! BOOM BOOM, CLAP!

Someone sang, “We will, we will rock you!” from the chorus.

BOOM BOOM, CLAP! BOOM BOOM, CLAP!

I jumped in with the first verse, singing loud and proud: “Buddy you’re a boy make a big noise playing in the street, gonna be a big man someday!”

I’d expected the crowd to join in. My own kids sang this song in their elementary school talent show – but they were both dead silent.

I was singing loud enough for the entire roller coaster platform to hear me – but I realized quite suddenly that no one was singing along.

There was still some stomping and clapping, I think. Maybe it was just my own feet and hands. Still, I couldn’t stop mid-verse. I was on a roll!

“You got mud on your face! Big disgrace! Somebody better put you back into your place!”

The verse ended; the crowd-pleasing chorus was about to start again. For sure, someone would jump in now.

I kept singing. “We will, we will ROCK YOU!”

Alone.

Mercifully at this point, the roller coaster took off, drowning out all sound and giving me a chance to stop performing for the crowd. I immediately shut up, red-faced with either excitement or humiliation; I wasn’t sure which.

I looked around at my family, waiting for the roller coaster.

My husband’s jaw was on the floor. Shane’s eyes were darting back and forth between family members, checking to see if he should laugh or cry. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry.

I looked at Dylan – a booming singer and the ultimate performer, who could easily have joined me in song and saved us all. Dylan had his head cupped in one hand, covering most of his face with three fingers. He didn’t move when he spoke, but his eyes and comment were aimed directly at me.

Dylan said, “What do you think this is, High School Musical?”

And then we all knew it was okay to laugh.

Mere moments later, we hopped onto Apollo’s Chariot and rode into the sun.