Walking With Dinosaurs (memoir assignment)

You may have seen dinosaurs on TV or in a book, but have you seen what appear to be real dinosaurs right in front of you? I remember waiting tensely and excitedly as they dimmed the lights to start the show, the smoke issuing from up above and the spotlights roving around the arena.

 “I don't remember much about it,” I said. “It was a long time ago.” I was recalling the time I had gone to Walking With Dinosaurs with my aunt Erica, five years earlier.

“Do you remember some of the dinosaurs?” Merrick inquired eagerly. He was excited.

I think there was a Stegosaurus and an Allosaurus,” I responded. “And there will be a T-Rex v. Stegosaurus battle,” I told Dad knowingly. “That's a signature battle.”

Then a man who's tan hat and vest reminded me of Indiana Jones ran onto the stage. The whole arena fell silent. The show had begun.

It started 220 million years ago during the Triassic, when the first dinosaurs were developing. We watched an early carnivorous dinosaur (dinosaurs were newly evolving) eat some eggs that it found in a nest. Then a giant herbivore came along and the carnivore decided to attack him. Luckily the herbivore was too big and the carnivore left on an empty stomach.

We then came to the Jurassic period, in which plant life was thriving. Many large herbivores then existed including. . . . . . . . . Stegosaurus! Today I still remember that Stegosaurus was my favorite dinosaur. He was as big as a garbage truck and awesome! But he wasn't the only big dinosaur around. Allosaurus was on the hunt. Luckily, Stegosaurus had that huge spiky tail. All he had to do was keep that tail between him and Mr. Jaws. So the Stegosaurus left in peace, and the Allosaurus decided instead to pick on a young Brachiosaurus separated from its herd. Then Grandpa Brachiosaurus arrived. He was much too big for Allosaurus. So Allosaurus didn't have any dinner.

Suddenly lightning struck, starting a devastating wildfire. The Brachiosauruses made it out just in time.

We finally came to the Crataceous period, in which we watched two Torosuars battle for leadership of the herd. The younger one came up to the leader and began showing off, trying to look tough. The older leader did the same. Usually its just a battle of looks, whoever looks tougher wins. However, these two looked like they were really going to fight. They locked horns, and eventually the older one lost his horn. This time, youth beat experience. The old leader will never fight again.

The winning Torosaur and an Ankylosaurus ganged up on a baby T-Rex. It was right then that the mother T-Rex came and scared the herbivores away.  Unfortunately, a huge asteroid was already headed towards Earth, the asteroid that wiped out all the dinosaurs except the birds.

Afterward, as we were headed home we all talked about our favorite parts. We couldn't stop laughing, even Dad.

Dinosaurs are awesome.