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I have had some very interesting experiences that I am thankful for. The events of our lives whether they be on a daily basis or are once in a life time events help to shape who we become.

Unusual experiences make our lives more interesting and unique. These events also give us stories to share with others too. These are five of my most unique experiences but I am sure there will be more! I would enjoy hearing some from you all, if you would write some of your experiences in the comments.

  My First Life Threatening Experience

My first unique experience came when I was about 6. I planned to see what it felt like to be hung like the bad guys in the TV westerns, which I grew up watching. I didn’t know they died!!

My plan failed when I didn’ t know that clothesline stretched, and I could not rescue myself by reaching the swing with my foot when I felt the panic rising. My younger sister got my mother there just in the nick of time. Sometimes, I think this helped make me the weird person I am today. I think I developed a better sense of what was dangerous!  Poor Moma! (For the full story see:  https://joyful2bee.wordpress.com/2019/07/22/how-i-almost-ended-my-life-at-6-years-old/)

But more importantly I have a deeper love and appreciation of life.

A Flight Like No Other

My second unusual experience came when I was 16. My father who was an experienced pilot took me up in a sail plane! It was an amazing experience to be in an airplane with no engine, towed up by a small airplane, then released to glide and swoop like a bird with no engine roaring in my ears!

The scenery was somehow even more beautiful and moving in the quiet gliding of this plane. Surprisingly, I was not afraid because I knew my dad had flown these many times before. What an amazing experience!

This flight gave me a special bond and memory with my father. He passed away over 15 years ago. 

 A Sleepover in a Governor’s Mansion

My third event. a unique opportunity, as opposed to a life threatening one, occurred when I was 16; on a family trip to Mexico; in a travel trailer, with no air conditioning and in the middle of summer. On the way, we stopped in Mississippi for the night. My father had served in World War II with and been a friend of the then Governor of Mississippi, Governor John Bell Williams.

So my father called him to say hello. The governor immediately sent a limo with his daughter to pick up my sister, brother and I. My parents decided to stay at the camp site with my youngest sister for the night.

We kids spent the night in the governor’s mansion. Dawn and I had a lot of fun visiting with the teenage daughter, Kelly. Our brother stayed with the governor’s son. In the morning, we were reunited with our parents and little sister and were served breakfast with the Governor. What an unusual experience that was!!

This experience gave me a better appreciation of the value of true friendship. Even though my father did not approve of racism, he continued to value the memories he and the governor had from their past in World War II. I also gained a better understanding of history.  

On the back row: Dawn is on the left, Kelly, the governor’s daughter, in the middle, and I am on the right. Seated: The Governor on the left, my parents on the right with my youngest sister, Betty. (Don’t know why my brother wasn’t here.)

An Untimely Snow in An Untimely Place

A friend and I went to Pamlico Sound on the coast of North Carolina at the end of February several years ago. We heard it might snow but figured it wouldn’t be much to worry about since, after all, it was the beach!

Well it started snowing and snowing… finally there was about 1/4 inch of snow which froze over night. I know because I slipped on it the next morning! I kept going to the window to look at the snow piling up and saying, “I can’t believe it is snowing at the beach. This is amazing!!”

This memory still brings me so much joy just realizing that unusual beauty can be found in the most unusual times and places. Always keep your senses alive and awake to enjoy what may occur to make your day more wonderful. 

Snow falling on the beach as seen from our patio!

The Ostrich Won

My last unique experience and something I bet few, if any, have witnessed was an encounter between a very young giraffe and an adult ostrich at the Asheboro Zoo. I actually photographed the event, as the young giraffe curiously and (according to the ostrich’s point of view and response) disrespectfully approached the ostrich. As the giraffe approached with parents watching from behind trees, the ostrich fluffed out its wings and dashed at the poor youngster.

The tall young giraffe changed its course to veer away from this monstrous, loud creature but kept its eyes on it! After the perceived threat was gone, as the baby changed its attention to some branches nearby, the ostrich marched quite proudly away from the giraffe with head held high.

Giraffe approaches ostrich as ostrich gets ready! Notice a parent in the background in the first photo. Baby Giraffe veers off away from the ostrich.
Young giraffe checking out the squawking, threatening ostrich.
Giraffe seemingly bows to the ostrich.
 

Ostrich proudly struts away.

This experience was just exciting to me because I was there to capture it with my camera. A good lesson to keep your eyes open and a camera close to capture the amazing for future memories

There are of course so many other experiences from a 68 year old life that I will have to share more another time. But these were some of the most interesting ones.