Places We Lose

Waving Goodbye

As Wild Waves nears its final day, one family reflects on memory, community, and the cost of progress.

“I wish you’d stay”

— Alien Ant Farm, “(Happy) Death Day”

Who at Wild Waves thought this was a good idea? Countdown clocks usually mark events you’re looking forward to: the fresh start of a new year, a movie premiere, opening day. Wild Waves placed one on its website, counting down to the final seconds before the park closes forever.

It feels like counting down to the moment someone important is about to leave your life. And when the clock reaches zero, people will lose their jobs and the community will be left with a gaping hole. The message it sends is that the emotional weight of the closure never entered the equation. The decision was simply reduced to dollars on a balance sheet.

As a newcomer to the area, I don’t have the ties to the park that long-time locals do, but I have grown attached to its charm. It may have once been owned by Six Flags, but it feels far from corporate and, at times, refreshingly hokey. The dream of making years of new memories with my grandsons will disappear when the gates close for the last time on November 1st.