A Time When I Showed Courage

             Many people have different opinions on what courage is. Some think that courage is what you show when you embark on a death- defying journey, while for others it is simply giving a speech in front of the class. Whichever way you think of it most everybody has faced some sort of courage in their lives. From minor courage to major courage, courage helps people to develop and discover new things they never knew about themselves.
              Well I showed courage on a theme park ride, although that may not sound so courageous, it was for me. Me + 119metres high drop = A very nervous Stephanie! I encountered my fear at Dreamworld at the Gold Coast in Australia. The ride was called “The Big Drop, an 119metres high (39 storey’s) tall pole that carried its victims to the top and then plummeted to the ground at an unexpected time, giving the ride a shocking edge to it. “The Big Drop” was one of Dreamworlds “Big 6 Thrill Rides”, the most thrilling rides Dreamworld; this told me that this ride was not for the fainthearted.

              Now it’s time for me to tell you all about my “courageous” experience from my point of view!

I stood in the queue, the large pole towered over me, scaring me even more. From where I was standing the pole seemed to go on forever, ducking into the clouds. My mind raced with thoughts and questions like, “ What if it something goes wrong” or “What if the pole falls over” and many more stupid yet possible things. As I progressed towards the door the screaming grew louder and louder, I could hear the fear in others as they came plummeting to the ground. I continued to follow the line until I noticed that I was next. I knew that I must face my fears, whether or not I liked it! Finally the doors opened, my body tingled with fear as I made my way towards the seat. I was doomed! I buckled the shiny metal seat belt, just in time for the lady to pull the harness over my shoulders. I was locked in, there would be no turning back now! Suddenly I felt the chairs rise, up and up and up until we had a bird's eye view of Dreamworld and its surroundings. For a second the fear seemed to melt away from me, it did not seem scary at all, that is until we suddenly stopped. My heartbeat quickened, skipping a beat or two. I felt even more fear than I did before. I must have been at the top of the pole for about 30 seconds, suspense seemed to strangle me, I was freaked out. But I knew that things that come up always need to come DOWN…………………….!
             All of a sudden the brakes let go of us. We were falling! Every second seemed quicker than the last as the cart had gained speed as it descended. It felt as if you were flying or skydiving. As soon as I got used to the falling I was actually having a lot of fun. But of course the fun did not last long enough as the chairs came to a halt, a halt so firm and steady it felt as if it shook my body apart. The cart slowly moved back into the pace we started, the harnesses were released, I was allowed to un -fasten my seat belt and went to join the queue for another ride.
             I learnt that if you do not show enough courage to do something or to try something then you won’t know what you are missing out on. By me showing courage I discovered something new that I found fun and enjoying.

Picture 1(Giant Drop Logo)URL :http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a6/Giant_Drop_Logo.jpg/250px-Giant_Drop_Logo.jpg

Picture 2(Giant Drop Seats)URL:http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2007/06/24/va1237253344332/Giant-Drop-5538514.jpg

Picture 3(Giant Drop Tower)URL:http://database.thrillnetwork.com/dbgallery/photos.php/ip_6223/dreamworld/giant_drop5314.jpg

How can understanding the past, help us to understand our world?

                       Many people question as to why people study the past, thinking "It’s old" or "What use is it to us?" Little do they know that the past is one of the many keys to the future, helping us to understand how the world has changed since our ancestors inhabited the earth? Some call the past a puzzle, others a mystery but social scientists think that the past is an important part in showing the change in appearance, knowledge and our sense of community, proving progress from then to now. This blog post is all about 'How can understanding the past help us to understand our world?'                        
                 
       You may wonder why certain items look the way they do. Well some things are based on ancient hominid tools. Referring to the book ‘History Alive! The Modern World’ the item 1.9 Cave Art Tools, the short, white, carved stone with the reddish brown tip looks similar to the modern day palette knife. A palette knife is used to mix and apply paint to a desired surface, a similar purpose to what we think the early hominids used this tool for.  This proves that understanding the past helps us to understand the world around us.        

The past is strongly related to the future. Yes that may sound strange but its true! Social scientists are able to study past civilizations and find out why they became extinct. They can make inferences and observations about a civilization and see if our own civilization is headed down the same route. They can use clues from the past to help support their thinking and knowledge.  Archaeologists unite with the past through the discovery of artifacts. These artifacts created by our ancestors help to inform us about the history of mankind. For instance, language, literature, art, war, farming, hunting , shelter and religious beliefs .  The more we know about our past, the more we are able to understand how we as humans are linked in some manner, not just now, but in the past and also how we will join with each other in time to come. Knowing and understanding what happened in the past can help to further our knowledge about our world and its’ sustainable future.