I could just scream

I've been thinking a lot lately about what would happen if I just started screaming in the middle of the office at work. For no reason. Would they be alarmed and think I was injured? Would they think I had finally gone over the edge and lost my mind? Would they be concerned? Or fear for their lives?

I'm trying to remember the last time I screamed. Like a really good scream. Obvious candidates are concerts, but I think that is more cheering, or yelling to be heard by someone standing right next to you. Sporting events are likely a no. I usually find it painful to sit through an entire game of anything, let alone get so caught up in the action that I would raise my voice. Probably falls into the same category as concerts.

When I was in sixth grade, our class went to this outdoor education camp where we spent three days or so living in cabins. The purpose of the trip was part educational (we learned all kinds of nature related stuff in preparation) and part was meant to bond our class together as we prepared for junior high. Part of this effort was a trust course high in the air, where you were suspended with bungee cords and cables, and some other fun obstacles/games on the ground. The best part in my opinion was the zipline that went through the woods. Now, I'm generally a scaredy cat about most extreme things, but this zipline was amazingly fun. The teacher that was running it told us that there was a contest for whoever could scream the loudest on the zipline. I remember very distinctly screaming as loud as a could (if I wasn't brave, at least I was competitive). It was shrill and high pitched, probably like most sixth grade girls, but man, I had some stamina. As a result, I won the contest and was recognized at dinner that night.

That sticks out in my mind as the last really good scream I had. Years later, in high school I returned as an outdoor ed camp counselor. I rode on the zipline, but refrained from screaming (didn't want to scare the kids, right?). Maybe screaming is just more socially acceptable for kids. Maybe our vocal cords change as we get older and screaming because less fulfilling, and hurts our throats more. Maybe we hold back too much. At any rate, I could sure go for a good old fashioned scream right about now.