Rollecoasters - heaven or hell - a perspective and a question!!!

Bonjour!!

Yes, I have been on a roller coaster today.. well through the past few years I would say, they have only been emotional (leave that for explanation to some other day..), but today in a visit to Alton Towers with good friends of mine I did see and dare I add ride some of them. I must acknowledge the complete credit for organizing and executing the trip to Noor Palijo (a close friend) - job well done, Sir!.

Apart from the engineering marvel of the various rides at the theme park, I was struck by this thought - actually better be frank and say stared at by my own fears - dont know how to classify - for given my ambition to be an aviator pilot once, I would like to think that I am not afraid of heights - but with rides that travel at fast speeds, twisting and turning, rising and falling and the individual hanging in mid air - I can assert those safety belts and bars dont offer much solace to weak hearts. There would be various traits that have been and could be suggested - cowardice, being the one that I wanna pick up today.

Yes!! Its the one, or the opposite bravery that is generally associated with great men... My question is that can bravery be judged on the choice of rides one chooses to take in a theme park or is it bigger (and possibly deeper ;-)) than that? My argument is that it would be, for now atleast. This expression is also inspired by another piece I heard on the radio last week, where the "punjabi" host of the radio show (a Punjabi Radio Show, mind you!!) accepted very coolly that he was a "darpok" or a coward. It startled me to hear a Punjabi, who are well renowned for their bravery and valor, say that.. until I realized the honesty in the statement and the amount of guts it takes to admit that. I hope you would agree...And for today (and future roller-coaster rides), I am following suit to that!!

I am gonna leave it that for tonite.. sleep over the question and like I put in the title, my perspective on roller coasters and maybe come bac on it if i ponder again..

sayonara :-)