There is no end to the things that I have done that could have killed me when I was young. But I am in Bangor and on my iPhone right now. I'll try to remember to look this thread up when I get home and am on a real computer.
Sometimes people will do dumb things where they do end up getting killed from. Like people trying to get that great photo and ignoring a sign stating "don't go beyond this point/barrier" that overlooks a deep canyon. One lady, visiting Devil's Canyon on I-70 in Utah with her family, done just that. She stepped over a barrier, slipped on some loose gravel and went over the side. Her husband and kids were in the vehicle waiting for her when this happened. They didn't hear her scream, because they had the AC on in the car. Another visitor seen her fall. I got some nice photos of the canyon, but I put out my arm, with the camera in my hand, and took some very nice photos.........without putting my life in danger and obeying the warning signs as well. I got some great photos of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone by doing the same thing with a camera. When living on the Front Range of Colorado, went to Rocky Mountain National Park during the "rut", which is elk breeding time, and was able to get pretty "up close and personal" with some big racked Bull Elk to take photos of them. They never made a turn towards me or anything like that, thank God!
There's a spot like that in Monterey CA. It's called Lover's Point I think, but a few have died getting their pics taken there. It's rough water or high unexpected waves that do it there. I'll have to google it to see what happens.
Ditto....double ditto..... !!!!!...except I never ever took drugs...and although I dabbled with a little bit of alcohol in the night clubs when I was a teen ( only once got falling down drunk)..I never liked the taste so I stopped that as well ...however, I was a Wild Child in every other way and a fighter...OMG I would have fought with a piece of lettuce if there was nothing else around... the anger in me was like a constant erupting volcano.. In retrospect I realised many years ago that it had been the backlash to a horrendous childhood...!
What about people with Selfie Sticks wanting a photo of them in front of a buffalo at a National Park. They get to close, the buffalo charges and the person gets nailed/injured. Yes, the list is basically long of what dumb/stupid things people do that get them either killed or seriously injured.
One thing I never was and that's a fighter. I simply never got around "brawlers" or went to places where fights broke out. In my younger, single (divorced) years, if a girlfriend broke up with me, I'd never get all mad and stuff, I'd just take it like "just wasn't meant to be" and move on. Some people just can't "let go".
Just quickly.............. The dumbest thing I ever did when I was in my 20's was getting married........... SERIOUSLY !!!! I was way too young to know what love really is and I got up in infatuation ...
Used to 'Hitch-Hike' all the time when I was younger. Never gave it much thought, just head out. Looking back, probably wasn't very smart. When I would take some 'Leave' in the military, sticking out the thumb was more enjoyable than sitting on a bus for hours. Seems I was never in a hurry to get places; getting there was half the fun.
I was a typical teenager who grew up in a normal home with normal friends and maybe the only oddity in me is that I was educated in a Catholic school. But that did not prevent me to try drinking with my classmates (from the all-girls high school) after graduation. Fortunately, nothing untoward happened except the hangover on the next morning. I was really sick and got sicker as the day wore on. With no other recourse but to seek help from my family, I admitted my mischief. I was glad that I was not reprimanded albeit they were laughing at me. My father gave me an aspirin and after a few hours, that did it, no more headache and nausea from that hangover.
You were very lucky young lady. Often people that can drink easily, end up alcoholics before they understand what has happened to them. My body doesn't like drinking acohol either. I use to think that was awful, because I couldn't go out drinking with others and enjoy myself as they seemed to do. Now I can have maybe one drink in celebration on special occasions, but even that will make my tummy hurt the next day. So I'm lucky too.
I didn't dare try while at home, then later I didn't have time to have a hangover....not saying I didn't drink as an adult Just never much and never really cared for it. Never got sick even when I did drink a lot, just felt crappy. I'm one of those people that doesn't like to lose control so drugs and alcohol aren't for me....unless it's time for bed.
I hitchhiked through much of the country at the age of 16-18, but I've discussed that elsewhere in this forum. It didn't seem particularly dangerous at the time. Along with a cousin, I climbed a radio tower, and we hung a pair of long underwear from the antenna portion, which extends above the part of the tower that can be climbed. This meant wrapping one arm around the antenna while I used the other hand and my cousin used one of his hands to attach the long underwear. That one did seem dangerous at the time because, for that period of time, we didn't really have a grip on anything, and the tower sways back and forth a little. But I've discussed that somewhere in this forum before too. I don't think I've mentioned this one. I grew up in the lower part of the UP of Michigan, an area where we didn't have many hills. However, there was one hill that descended down onto a lake. A stream ran through the lake. In the summer, when there wasn't any ice, you couldn't tell that the stream was there because it was all water, but in the winter the flowing water from the stream didn't freeze as readily as the rest of the lake, so there was a period of time when the lake was all frozen over except for the stream that ran through it. Sometimes in the winter, we would build a ramp of snow next to one side of the stream and pile two or three of us into a toboggan (not everyone knows what a toboggan is so I'll include a picture below) and ride down the top of the hill, up the ramp, and over the stream and onto the solid ice on the other side. Of course, if we miscalculated, there was the possibility that we would end up underneath the frozen ice and be unable to surface. Even if we were able to find our way back to the unfrozen part of the lake, there would have been a fairly long walk in frozen clothing to the nearest house. That was scary, and not everyone was willing to do it, but it wouldn't have been fun otherwise. Another time, we lost our way sliding down the sled with four of five of us crowded onto the toboggan and hit the side of an old barn. Different hill, but that hurt.
No not me, I didn't do anything dangerous or otherwise. Just grew up and went to college and work. Just like most people when young just stayed away from danger and dangerous people. Wasn't looking for excitement or adventure just wanted financial security and still looking for financial security. I guess like most people grew up nicely and still learning a lot from life.
@Chrissy Page Gosh, what I'd give to just get a tiny peek, at maybe only one, tiny, forgivable transgression...... Frank