But today I found myself in a moment of true unhappiness about the snow on the roads: I was sitting in a left-turn lane when the vehicle next to me lost traction and began to slide toward me. I know we've all had that happen before, but this particular vehicle got me thinking that until that moment, I'd never really been nervous before in my life. What was the vehicle you ask? It was one of these:
Believe me, the next time I squish a bug, I will have a lot more empathy for the bug.
Believe me, the next time I squish a bug, I will have a lot more empathy for the bug.____________________________
I'm thinking this might be a good time to dig up a few serious memories and have a good laugh. Enjoy:When NOT to Hug a Tree
The summer after I turned 15 my family all went for a swim
in Blacks Canyon Lake in Arizona. I'd just had surgery on my foot and had to wear a boot, so swimming was out of the question for me. My Grandma Winmill wasn't much of swimmer, so she and I went for a drive through the gorgeous Ponderosa Pine forrest that surrounds the lake.Eventually we spotted an enormous tree, much larger than all the trees around it. My cute Grandma needed to know how big around the trunk was, so I dutifully hobbled through the brush to give this gigantic tree a bear hug.
At this point I must mention that sometime during our drive a nice thunderstorm moved into position overhead, but we were too distracted to notice. And sure enough, at the precise moment when I'd wrapped myself around this huge tree, a lightning bolt split the sky and slammed into the ground nearby.
I wasn't sure where it struck, but it was close enough that the sound and the light blinded and deafened me at the same time. (my Grandma later confirmed it was only about 50 yards away) You could say I was shocked. The only thought in my head was, "Why in the h$!# am I hugging this enormous tree?!! And newly surgered foot or not, I don't think I have ever, before or since, run through bushes and bramble quite that fast.
What Are the Odds...
In 2003-ish I was working at a children's museum
that was housed in an antient armory building. On a particularly stormy day I was standing near the dino exhibit, perusing a book when a piece of forgotten artillory exploded in the basement beneath me (or so I thought) and I crashed to the floor. After my senses returned I ran outside with my boss and we found the old ham radio tower on top of the building shakin' and a hummin' like a disco dancer! It was nuts!For about 3 weeks all the computer monitors made me question if I'd dropped acid before work, and the faucets and taps all spewed rusty-brown sludge for a month!
If a Freight Train Traveling at 65 mph Leaves the Station...
Somewhere near the end of high school my parents' Suburban broke down and needed to be towed to the shop. So off we went, my father steared the lame duck, and I towed him with a Ram-Charger. All was smiles until we came upon a train crossing.
I'd just driven past the arm when the lights started flashing and the arm started to come down. The tracks were on top of a small hill, and because I'd already broken the tow strap by gunning the accelerator, I didn't dare floor it for fear I'd leave my father sitting on the tracks. Obviously backing up was out of the question, so I pulled as close to the tracks as I dared, my father scooched in behind me, (The arm came down just inches behind the Suburban) and the engineer of the train literally hung his head out the window to see if we'd clear.
I was terrified! The train thundered by within two or so feet of the Charger's grill, and shook us like an earthquake! All I could do was scream! (Looking back, I'm thinking a much wiser plan would have been to get out of the vehicle and move out of the potential crash zone)
It's a good thing we only had a block or so to go, cause I was in no fit state to drive after that. I remember once we got to the shop, my father opened my door, and I just sort of poured out of the truck onto the ground. Just a little bit rattled, it was some time before I could find my feet and remember how to use them again.
Your Turn
Now that I've shared my most adrenaline-pumping moments with you, I'd love to hear about yours. Please leave a comment and share your heart-thumpers with me!
12 comments:
I have lots, but one that your blog reminded me of was my lightning experience. I was hiking Ensign Peak on the 24th of July some years back with my ex-husband and some friends. Apparently a pretty big storm was brewing overhead, but we didn't realize the severity of it. When we reached the top of the peak, we were all just sitting around and we heard a strange sound. A buzzing was coming off the bars and statue that was up there. I was confused, then looked over at my friend and then husband--and their hair was sticking straight up in the air. It was then that I realized we were in the direct path of lightning, and assuredly there were some leaders coming off our heads. I grabbed everyone, and we ran for cover a few hudred feet down and found shelter in some rocks. That totally freaked me out.
I personaly cannot think of any experiances of this nature. I know I have had the $#!% scared out of me a couple times, but I can't think of when it was. I'd tell you about rolling a car once when I was 16, but I know, that you know first hand, what it is like to roll a car. By the way, I never knew you were a "Tree-Hugger", haha. You aren't a "Dirt-Worshipper" are you. J/K
(Funny Stories I didn't know)
Zeke
Anyone else who reads this will probably not find it the least bit scary but for me it was. In college I had a behavioral psych lab involving pigeons, you know train them to peck certain buttons for a food reward. I am terrified of birds but I needed the credit and figured there would be others in my lab group that could help me out and maybe I'd get over the fear. As it turned out, the only lab I could fit in my schedule was a completely empty lab. It was just me and the birds for an hour each day! That didn't help my fear at all.
It was a full week before I could even go in the pigeon room. When I finally got the nerve up to try taking my bird out of his cage, that sucker escaped! So now I'm in a room full of caged birds and one flapping around enjoying his new freedom. I can't just leave because if someone opens the door, he'll fly out. I realize that I have to catch this bird!
So with my heart practically beating out of my chest I grab the net with one hand and a chair with the other. And say what you will but I know those birds were laughing at me as I jumped around trying to catch that bird! After many attempts I finally caught the bird in the net... on the tip top of the cages. I still had my pigeon wrangling glove on so very carefully I climbed on the chair, took a deep breath and grabbed the pigeon and the net. At this point I was so terrified that I thought I might pass out. I thik the only thing keeping me semi-sane was knowing that if I died (yes, died!) no one would find me until morning and that dang bird would be loose in there with me!
I got him back in his cage with some difficulty because he was stuck in the net a bit and made sure the door was secure then I RAN out of there. I didn't get far before I had to sit on a curb and try to pull myself together. When I got home my room mates could see I was obviously rattled and they were very concerned. I told them the story and they all broke into uncontrollable laughter and to this day they still give me grief about it, as does my husband.
By the time this event happened it was to late to drop the class and by the end of the semester I could handle getting the bird in the testing box but I had a panic attack every time. Did I pass the class? No I did not and I convinced my advisor to let me take something else. I think she let me count another class because when I explained why I couldn't do the pigeon lab she had a good laugh too.
Oh. My. Hell.
Did you make this up? Cause this sounds made up.
Just kidding. But wow. Seriously. I would probably be in the koo koos nest if I were you.
I am so scared of trains. Alot. And SOO freaked out by getting hit by a snowplow. I hate HATE driving in the snow. I have never been scared by lightning but maybe now I will, haha.
Those are good stories, you need to write a book or something you are a good story teller.
And maybe like, stay in your house. Forever. With lightning rods on top. :)
Oh and to the poster above me, I hear you sista, on the bird thing.
That would have freaked me RIGHT out. Not a fan of the birds myself.
I have one, not so sure if it's qualifies as an adrenaline rush, but it sure had me shaking for a few hours! Mike and I had been married about two months, and I was driving back home from the store, well, I get up to our four-plex and park in my spot. And someone taps on my window. I turn and there is a disheveled lady around my age standing by my door. I had no clue what to do, but having just had a lesson in church about helping our neighbors, I got out of the car (mistake number one.) This girl, (I will call her Lisa) proceeds to ask me if I would drive her to her Aunt's house which is just up the street. So, still thinking about the lesson, I agree. (mistake number two) She gets in the car, and tells me to turn left. I notice an odd smell permeating from the passenger side of the car, and I'm thinking, great this girl is drunk! And then she tells me that yes, she had been drinking. She then starts telling me that she had ran away from her boyfriends house, but had left her three children there with him, that he was violent and that she had to get away. So, we're driving up the street, and she tells me that she forgot her purse and that we needed to go back to her boyfriend's. (mistake number three) so, I turn around and we drive to his house a few blocks away. She meanwhile, is telling me her life story. The reasons why she is drinking etc. So, we get to her house, and she is opening the car door when she screams. I jump and she yells "There he is! Hurry, drive drive!" Panic stricken and about to loose my head, I drive away, all the time thinking, what I have done? We drive away and I drop her off at her Aunt's apartment, and then I speed home. I raced into our apartment and locked the doors. My imagination is in overdrive. What if he followed us? What if she brings him here, to my house? I stayed in my bedroom for a whole ten minutes, and I raced to my car, hoped in and drove to my in-laws a few blocks away. I think I kept a look out for that girl and her boyfriend for about six months!
Oh my gosh!!! I cannot believe that happened to you! Thnks for sharing, great stories!
I have to laugh at Tiffany. You have to hear her tell that story to get the terror she had LOL LOL hahahaha
Your stories reminded me of a time I was in Jessica L. car and the arms went down for the train to go by. We were CLEAR back...i mean CLEAR back. She decides to "tease" me and floor it. Well...last minute, i guess she decided to go for it and she went around the arms....i swear the train BARLEY missed us. I may have even wet myself a bit.
yikes.
yeah, jess...tell YOUR version of that story, cuz it still scares the $#(&# out of me! LOL
You made me laugh about the snow plow. I'm glad though that the vehicle didn't sway into you. And the lightning, wow, but the train story, I'm glad you were safe. I've always wondered what would happen if a person was stuck on the tracks.
When I was 19, my then boyfriend decided he'd drive his friend to Houston. We left after I got off work on a Friday and I needed to be back for work Tuesday morning. That meant we would drive and maybe pull over and sleep in the hatch back of the car or take turns sleeping.
We decided to see other states on the way back, so we made a circle--Kansas wasn't fun and Oklahoma, hmmm, I don't know if I'd go there again--Anyway, I drove all night through OK and ended up with bleary, red eyes in Wichita about 6:45. I stopped on the shoulder of the highway to gulp air, see the sunrise over the flat lifeless skyline, and try to wake up. Back in the car 5 minutes later I awoke to the sound of a crash and saw myself headed straight to a cement wall. Scared hairless, I over corrected and was on my way to the corner of the other wall. Swerving back and forth a couple times, I was finally able to gain control. My boyfriend had been asleep in the back of the car, but awoke rolling all over the back.
Luckily, the cars behind me saw I was in trouble and stayed back. I don't know where the sound of a crash came from, but it's what woke me and I was grateful.
I loved the other comments and yeah, I understand the bird one. I was terrified of big birds until I hit about 11. My brother and sister had me watch The Birds with them-okay, that dates me. However, funny, I understand Tiffany's story.
Your stories are so very interesting - I agree with your friend that said you should be a writer and get your words in books.
Interesting comments from others - my only comment is about an accident I had in winter as I was driving to work with two other women going to USU and we slid off the road and through a fence into a field. Luckily no one was hurt and we were able to get help and only the car was scratched up which eventually received a new paint job. I think we have guardian angels with us at those times.
Love you, Grandma
Post a Comment