Stories

A few of us were sitting around the other day and a variety of stories surfaced as we compared experiences. Some of us are old enough to vividly remember the April 3, 1974 tornadoes and the devastation afterwards. A couple of us had been burned, physical, not emotional, or knew someone who had been. We compared some of our "war" stories. This was not a competition of one-ups-manship, it was just a loose conversation about life experiences. One of the much younger women commented, that we sure had a lot of stories. I told her that is what happens when you get old. I prefer to think it's what happens when you live life.

I do have lot of stories. Perhaps it's the "why not" attitude. Perhaps it's being in the right place at the wrong time, wrong place right time...or exactly where I was needed just then. It's funny how the stories come back to light sometimes. Things I have not thought about in years will suddenly surface. I need to write about them when they come up, as the sink back into the murk of my memory just as quickly as they rise to the surface.

I am sitting here trying to pull some of life's tidbits and few are to be found.

I once had a horse flip over, landing on top of me. The horse trying to get up was more traumatic, I think, at least for me. I was on the bottom. I got up and got back on. It wasn't until years later when Christopher Reeve was hurt that I realized how lucky I was. It wasn't the only hard knock I have experienced with a horse...and I will still ride given the opportunity.

I once sat on the ground and played with tiger cubs. I have stroked along the sides of a full grown lioness. Neither were at a zoo. Neither were sedated, muzzled or caged.

Actually, I have handled or experienced a great number of animals, many in the wild.

I was bumped twice, by what I am certain was a shark off St Petersburg, Fla. The first time I stood there in chest deep water wondering, "What was that?" A few moments later, I was knocked off my feet...I decided sun bathing seemed like a good activity after ever survival alarm in my body went haywire. Fight or flight at it's best.

I have been snake bit, more than once. Both by pets and um, not. I have also been bit by a hamster and a parakeet and strangely enough, the last two hurt worse. Okay, the snakes, fortunately, were not big.

I have had dogs respond to me that I have been told can not be handled...and have never been seriously bitten. I have been nipped a few times, by my own. That led to a serious lesson on who the alpha was in the household. It never happened more than once.

Now in all fairness, I will admit that I have had an animal lay me up for a few days. A cat...as in domestic variety. Yeah, I'm allergic. Hives, eyes swollen, gasping for breath. But do I avoid them? Not really. I love animals and apparently, I'm a glutton for punishment. And cats absolutely positively adore me. The more aloof I try to be, the more fascinated they are.

It seems I have lots of animal stories. I have been chased by a bull. I have tried to ride a cow...that does not work by the way. Momma pigs are not thrilled with the idea of you picking up the babies...despite what my cousins said. Actually, all three of those were thanks to my cousins in the country. I have been on the wrong end of a battle with a field full of mares, they really do not like when you take the stallion home...cousin in Tenn. I'm beginning to see a theme here. I have sat in the woods surrounded by deer. Opossums really do play dead. And they have a mouth full of nasty looking teeth when they're not playing any more. My dog brought it to the back door. I had a raccoon steal the fruit from my drink...on the patio of a club in downtown Louisville. I have been up close and personal with a few too many alligators. Those bastards are prevalent in parts of Florida and they really are not afraid of humans. I actually saw one enter a house through the garage door that a neighbor had left open. Speaking of Florida...there is a species of bird down there, a type of crane, I think, that stands about as tall as me and can be rather aggressive. They recognize McDonald's bag and they want your fries! I have watched a Florida panther walk across my parent's front yard, from the street. He was elegant and beautiful, and happily not interested in me. I was almost pulled overboard while deep sea fishing. I caught something the crew wouldn't bring on board, they just cut the line...we'd already brought an eel and a 49 inch barracuda on board. There are fish down there, that are poisonous just to touch. And we swim with them.

I am sure there are more. I love animals. I once wanted to be a vet...but doesn't every little girl? When I started nursing school, my Dad asked what happened to being a vet. I answered I didn't think I could deal with the animal's suffering. My dad gave me a look...people are different.

A 2008 post of Life stories.