“Magical Freedom”
By
Gerry Niskern
We moved slowly up the mountain. Then, suddenly, at the summit, we plunged straight down. The sled made another turn and I thought we would fly off the side. One more turn and I was screaming, sure I was sailing off into space; sure I was going to die.
How did I get into this predicament? Well, let me tell you.
It all started with ken coming in from work one day in l959 and asking, “ What do you say we try to get away for a few days? Do you think you can get Mrs. Garside to watch the kids on short notice? We could drive over to the coast and relax on the beach a day or two?”
I was on the phone in a flash, and as luck would have it, our sitter was free that weekend. Grandparents were put on backup notice and our “Angel of Mercy” was on the job as we pulled away waving goodbye to our munchins, aged one, four and six.
In Del Mar the next morning, my devious husband said, “Let’s drive up to Orange county and look around. I hear that area is really growing. “ As we drove around Anaheim I noticed something strange, a mountain! “Oh, look” I said, pointing at the startling sight in the center of town. “Do you think that’s the Matterhorn and that’s Disneyland over there?”
“I don’t know, do you want to go see? “ my sly husband replied. We drove closer and there it was, right in front of us, Disneyland! The happiest place on earth. “ Do you want to go in?” I was torn. I felt so lucky that we had just happened to drive by it . “But we should take the kids, “ I worried. “Look around, do you see any quilt police?” my young partner asked.
So, we two, twenty something parents, parked and bought our tickets. We were carried down main street on the joyful feeling of freedom and fun. We rode every ride and enjoyed that Matterhorn adventure more than once. Streaking down that mountain, I felt unbelievably free!

CONCLUSION: We took the kids the following summer and every place we stopped someone asked, “Where are you kids going? One of them would put on a long, sad face and pointing an accusing finger, say “Disneyland, but THEY WENT LAST YEAR!