Maggie loves to zip line. She constantly wants to invent her own from any tree she sees. She is drawn to them at parks and begs to ride them everywhere. I took her to a chocolate festival inside of a medieval castle and there, like a shining star, was a zip line.
Maggie’s eyes started to sparkle.
“Mom, can I see how expensive the zip line is…please?” Said in a begging voice.
Never hurts to ask, but I would assume a zip line in a super cool castle during a famous international chocolate festival could not be cheap.
I was wrong. Maggie asked the cost and comes running back to me giddy. €1.50 ($2 American) per ride. I naturally didn’t believe her. I asked the man myself, in my broken Portuguese. He answered in perfect English (always embarrassing when I attempt to speak Portuguese and I am answered in my language, but more about that another time). The cost was indeed €1.50. No liability papers are signed. No long discussion about the dangers. Maggie just put on her helmet and harness and went for it. She went for it many, many times.
So although it was crazy cheap, it ended up costing me dearly because my daughter felt like a super hero gliding high above a castle attached to a wire and never wanted to stop. She couldn’t stop smiling. I didn’t have the heart to say no. Everyone wants to be a super hero once in awhile.