Rollercoasters

(Circa August 2009)
Anyone who knows me well knows that I love rollercoasters.  The bigger, the faster, the more extreme, the better.  The anticipation as you snap the seat belt, lower that safety bar, or adjust that shoulder harness, is almost as delicious as the thrill of the first drop, the steepest bank, or those famous G's as your body flips heels over head in a loop de loop.  I've yet to meet a rollercoaster I didn't love, love, love.  Until now...
You see, my husband is at heart an entrepenuer.  It wasn't something I saw in him right away, but his boasting of a spur of the moment trip to skydive, his ownership of a motorcycle, and his tales of youthful exuberance should have been a clue that he was into searching for thrills and taking chances.
Our first foray into small business ownership was like the kiddie coaster at the fair.  Limited risk, limited exposure.  A small high here, a sharp turn there and a dud of an ending.  Nothing too alarming to keep us from moving on to something bigger and better.
The next time I'd say there was the need for a safetybelt.  But we strapped it on and began our next journey onto an SBO rollercoaster.  This one started slowly.  Really slowly.  Eventually we got to that hill where the train is on that chain and you are chugging, chugging, chugging, up, up, up.  Just when we thought we'd never get to the top it took off and ran through the course with plenty of drops, sharp banks, a few quick stops, but in the end, we smiled, cheered, and stepped onto the platform to let someone else take the ride.
Now, we've all heard the cliche, "the third times the charm".  Well, as of yet, I am not convinced.  Our latest foray into the wild and twisty world that is small business ownership, let's just say it's the rollercoaster ride that has left me feeling dizzy, headachey, and ready to hurl...
It took off with a bang- like one of those coasters with magnectic propulsion.  Then there were a few small hills, but soon came the loops.  Not one.  Not two.  Countless times we were hurled in dirctions it just didn't seem possible that a track could go.  Just when we thought the train would slow and we could catch a breath, regroup, and maybe, just maybe coast for awhile til the next big hill, a big swirling mass of twisted metal would take our breath away.  No emergency brakes in sight, but could that be a sharp drop to end it?  No--just more dreaded banks and twists like we had already endured.
Luckily, we still have each other to hold hands with as we endure the rest of this ride.  It may feel like we are flying out of our seets, but if we just hold on-as if for dear life-I know we will make it...