Dollywood healed me!

People say music heals the soul, at Dollywood it healed my legs!  Now if you are not from the South, or have never heard of Dolly Parton, just picture Dollywood as a theme park where the main attractions are country singing, square dancing and food.  For the younger group the fun is in watching the old people play bumper cars with their rented electric scooters.

Now before you blame me for making fun of the elderly, or worse yet, people in wheelchairs, let me tell you how Dollywood healed me. My parents invited my son and I to go with them to Dollywood, while we were vacationing in Pigeon Forge, TN.  Since my only other choice was entertaining a 5 year old in a hotel for 8 hours you can guess why I went.

 It was right about this time that I had resigned myself to the fact that any major walking (i.e. Wal-Mart) I would need to use an electric wheelchair.   I was still  self-conscious, but if I wanted to go I had to use the wheelchair.  I kept telling my best friend that people treated you differently when you are in a wheelchair,  and this trip to Dollywood gave me the proof I needed.

Later in the day at Dollywood, after many musical performances, both my son and I were tired of watching shows. That's when my Dad told me that I should take my son to the other side of the park to  the kiddie rides. My son hopped on my lap, hit the high speed button on my wheelchair and we made our way down to the rides.

My son was off my lap and being loaded onto an airplane ride before I even had stopped the wheelchair.  I watched from a distance as my son was spun in a slow circle.  The joy on his face was mesmerizing and his laughter infectious, and it only lasted for a minute.

When the ride ended my son didn't want to get off.  I asked nicely( at least once), and then yelled at my son to get off the plane. He wouldn't budge. I knewI had no choice but to physically pull my son off the ride. It was at this time that the few remaining parents noticed me, and more importantly the wheelchair.

 I turned off my chair.  I  stood up.

Everyone stopped stared, and gasped.

Actually the sound emitted from my audience was larger than a gasp,  more like the sound of a tornado sucking up houses or at least little kids.  They couldn't believe that I could stand.  I took advantage of the situation.

"I'm healed! I'm healed!" I shouted and shook each leg to prove my point.  "Great God Almighty I've been healed!"

Everyone evaporated, or more likely ran somewhere to hide.  The driver of the airplane ride handed me my fussing son.

 Laughing, I got back in the wheelchair with my son in tow, and took off for a different ride.







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