catjac1975
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Marshall- I think you need to write a about your life's story. You seem to have lived a very divergent interesting life!
What is it we are afraid of?
- Thread starter digitS'
- Start date
journey11
Garden Master
I agree, that would be an interesting story! And you are very good with words too. I thought of your 11 mile desert hike as I was taking my nightly walk with the dog. I'm sure I would have perished had it been me! 
baymule
Garden Master
My fears----I can't really say I have any. No paralyzing phobias, no screaming meemeeies over snakes, bugs or other weird things. I have RESPECT for things that can injure me or cause me to meet my maker sooner than I would wish for. 
Fears--let's just say.......some things I just have better sense than to tackle. That being said, I have done my share of dumb things. A dark night on a lake jumping out of a perfectly good boat to catch baby alligators in neck deep snake infested water comes to mind.........riding "bad" horses just to see if I could (don't do that anymore, it hurts to much when I hit the ground 
) In an emergency situation, I just pile in and get it done. Later, I might fall apart, but not in the middle of a crisis.
Fears--let's just say.......some things I just have better sense than to tackle. That being said, I have done my share of dumb things. A dark night on a lake jumping out of a perfectly good boat to catch baby alligators in neck deep snake infested water comes to mind.........riding "bad" horses just to see if I could (don't do that anymore, it hurts to much when I hit the ground ) In an emergency situation, I just pile in and get it done. Later, I might fall apart, but not in the middle of a crisis.897tgigvib
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I was JUST now reading an online newspaper about an experienced skydiver, a 42 year old healthy man using one of those delta shaped parachutes that are used for pinpoint accurate drops, and known for very soft tennis shoed landings.
Well, they have this stunt that has become popular using these parachutes called "swooping", and this man was very good at swooping. "Swooping" involves dropping rapidly using the delta shaped chute aimed straight down, and then pulling up approaching the ground for a running landing.
This man had done this stunt many times.
A couple days ago he did it his last time. He pulled up on his "swoop" too late and smacked the ground. It took him an hour to finish dying.
He crossed that fine line between respect and fear. He has a great many friends and family who will miss him.
In the comments section, for what online newspaper comments are worth, some people mentioned that there'd been two other "swooping" deaths recently near a place called Lake Elsinore.
Here at our lake some folks hang glide from Hull Mountain to the north part of Lake Pillsbury, 5 and a half miles. It is listed as "difficult".
Those delta wing parachgutes have similarities to hang gliders, but hang gliders have the body supported almost horizontal. Delta chutes the person dangles down like other parachutes.
Expert parachutists can correct me on details for sure. I don't really want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
Well, they have this stunt that has become popular using these parachutes called "swooping", and this man was very good at swooping. "Swooping" involves dropping rapidly using the delta shaped chute aimed straight down, and then pulling up approaching the ground for a running landing.
This man had done this stunt many times.
A couple days ago he did it his last time. He pulled up on his "swoop" too late and smacked the ground. It took him an hour to finish dying.
He crossed that fine line between respect and fear. He has a great many friends and family who will miss him.
In the comments section, for what online newspaper comments are worth, some people mentioned that there'd been two other "swooping" deaths recently near a place called Lake Elsinore.
Here at our lake some folks hang glide from Hull Mountain to the north part of Lake Pillsbury, 5 and a half miles. It is listed as "difficult".
Those delta wing parachgutes have similarities to hang gliders, but hang gliders have the body supported almost horizontal. Delta chutes the person dangles down like other parachutes.
Expert parachutists can correct me on details for sure. I don't really want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
- Thread starter
- #25
digitS'
Garden Master
On OldGuy's thread about Christmas coming in September, I seem to have gone off on a tangent. So, maybe it belongs here.
A Halloween party I attended (in my 20's) I went as the Grim Reaper. My costume was made special by a lady who was making shirts for me. I wore pullover shirts with collars those days & had her make one out of black material, add a hood instead of collar and leave it about 6 feet long.
Over 6 feet tall, skinny with face whitened, I showed up at the gathering with my scythe (the blade was covered with duct tape). Whoa. I sure cast a pall over the good times! The hostess asked me to stand at a distance from the crowd, by the door, and looking sideways at the others . . .
I learned something from the experience. Some people like to pretend to be scared but they may already be frightened in their lives. Death, they want at a distance.
I am sad to see our young people wearing clothes with images of skulls & zombies but it is also the older people that I worry about. As an antidote for what may be the irrational fear they feel, some people are belligerent. That seems to be the common pushback from wanting to avoid being a victim. Every other bumper sticker is rude and insulting. From there, you can work your way down.
I don't think that the percent of people who behave this way is higher but people are living closer & closer together. Fearful of each other, they use antisocial behavior in their walk thru life. The ultimate antisocial behavior, I suppose, is to show up as the Grim Reaper.
Personally it is probably best to leave the antisocial types where they are and stay on the sunny side of the street. Especially the younger people may see that and be better able to choose where they want to walk in life.
Steve
A Halloween party I attended (in my 20's) I went as the Grim Reaper. My costume was made special by a lady who was making shirts for me. I wore pullover shirts with collars those days & had her make one out of black material, add a hood instead of collar and leave it about 6 feet long.
Over 6 feet tall, skinny with face whitened, I showed up at the gathering with my scythe (the blade was covered with duct tape). Whoa. I sure cast a pall over the good times! The hostess asked me to stand at a distance from the crowd, by the door, and looking sideways at the others . . .
I learned something from the experience. Some people like to pretend to be scared but they may already be frightened in their lives. Death, they want at a distance.
I am sad to see our young people wearing clothes with images of skulls & zombies but it is also the older people that I worry about. As an antidote for what may be the irrational fear they feel, some people are belligerent. That seems to be the common pushback from wanting to avoid being a victim. Every other bumper sticker is rude and insulting. From there, you can work your way down.
I don't think that the percent of people who behave this way is higher but people are living closer & closer together. Fearful of each other, they use antisocial behavior in their walk thru life. The ultimate antisocial behavior, I suppose, is to show up as the Grim Reaper.
Personally it is probably best to leave the antisocial types where they are and stay on the sunny side of the street. Especially the younger people may see that and be better able to choose where they want to walk in life.
Steve
ninnymary
Garden Master
Marshall, how long did that desert hike take? Did you do it at night when it was cooler or during the day?
Mary
Mary
897tgigvib
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It started sometime just before noon, and ended around 5. I was a hurting unit. Had the same hat as in my avatar photo, still have it on top of my cupboard. I was very intent on direction, studyinbg the shapes of the hills in the distance. I could still see my little Chevette for probably 5 miles. It was directly under a V shape between 2 hills. I pretty much kept moving except to stop and asses direction. I had to trust my atlas, and keep trust in my original plan. Also important was not to let myself get hurt at all, no slipping or twisting an ankle, listen for snakes. I saw no snakes. I found myself counting steps. Tried to keep steps full sized, and no dawdling. It got greener before I got to a road, then I saw a green area with a gas station and a hotel, and a smallish store! It was right near a highway. I think the place was called Pacheco. My head was very hot, but I kept my long sleeve shirt on the whole time. Store, bag full of juices and liquids, then the hotel, into the bath, almost pure cold water. It was all very foiolish of me.
Collector
Garden Master
CLOWNS, weird as it sounds. Maybe it is just a phobia though! from child hood till now, not as bad now though. Funny story; a few weeks after my wife and I started dating she invited me to her home for dinner, guess what she collected, ya clowns , and I was outa there.
Greenthumb18
Deeply Rooted
Nope its Obama being re-elected we should be scared aboutpatty12 said:
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