Collywobbles

The experience of collywobbles was nothing new to Naomi. Her sister had to practically drag her past the gentle sounds of the carousel and hold her hostage while they waited their turn on the ferris wheel. Eating that delicious funnel cake moments ago probably wasn’t the wisest choice before riding high up in the air in a circular motion. Too late now. 

The girls carefully chose the seat that appeared steady and climbed inside. Naomi’s nerves continued to spin, and the ride hadn’t even begun. After the attendant double checked the bar for security, the wheel began its ascent. 

As they rose higher and higher in the sky, the butterflies in her stomach changed from fear to excitement. The wheel suddenly stopped. The sisters realized they were temporarily suspended at the top of the ferris wheel. As the other people ended their adventure back down at the ride’s exit ramp, the wind picked up speed. The seat began to sway back and forth as Naomi kept her eyes focused straight ahead. The thought of looking down at the crowd below made her slightly nauseous. 

Just as quickly as the ride began, it was all over. Naomi had survived the scary experience of the ferris wheel. Now, she couldn’t wait to get back on and go again.

Collywobbles – (noun)  a state of disorder in the gut, such as “butterflies” in the stomach. Colly is of old English dialect meaning coal dust. Blackbirds were known as colly birds. It is most likely a nonsense word taken from colic and wobble. 

Each of us probably have experiences in life that we dread but end up surprised by the adventure and joy we feel. What story can you share about experiencing the “butterflies”?