A Risky Ride

Today I heard on the TV news at 12:00 M. that for twelve hours two funiculars with some 70 people had been suspended in the air at a considerable height. This occurred while crossing from New York City to Roosevelt Island and created quite an emergency situation. Thank goodness the problem was finally solved after all those hours. Listening to this made me recall the time when I lived in Spain in 1980.

The only time I remember ever having gotten on one of these vehicles was precisely when I lived in Spain. Some friends and I crossed the "Retiro Park" on a funicular a distance back and forth lasting about a half hour or so. This park is called "The Park of Good Retirement." Retirement is what the word "Retiro" means in English. It's the most beautiful park of Madrid. It is a very popular place particularly on weekends when street entertainers and venders populate the west side of the lake. Here one finds families lingering in the shade, taking a respite from the city life. The park's gardens provide a welcome change of pace for the visitors to Madrid.

When I visited the European Peaks there were funiculars to climb way up to one of those peaks where there was a restaurant. I remember watching it for some time while we waited for our turn to board it. I watched it climbing up, my eyes following it until I couldn't see it any longer. That peak was so far up that after a certain distance the cable car was no longer visible to my naked eye. I think then I realized that the risk was too high and I swallowed really hard practically "gulping." I felt a surge of heat and fear at the same time. And believe me, the weather was quite cool. I asked myself what in blazes name did I have to get up there for. I'd lost nothing there. I had nothing to find or look for up on that peak. There was a restaurant down here. All these thoughts went through my mind practically as fast as lightning. Then I told my friends that I would rather wait for them down here and not go up on the cable car. I think they suspected I was scared. They tried to make me change my mind, but finally gave up trying.

Crossing the "Retiro Park" where I could see the view down under fairly close was one thing, but climbing high up into the sky to reach a peak was another thing. I could live without it! I didn't feel the need to go prancing up to any European peak. And I didn't board it after I had paid for the ride. And besides, I wasn't the only one that decided to wait for the others down in the safety of the ground. I watched my friends going up until they disappeared from my vision and I prayed to God they would have a safe return. After saying my prayer I just went happily about seeing the sites down where I was, feeling safe on the ground.

By the way, they all returned safely after about an hour or so telling me all about what I had missed.

Note: Here is a photo of one of the fountains in "Retiro Park" and another of the European peaks.

April 19, 2006

4:34 PM