Post a story that makes you smile (or LOL)

[alexzogh]

Someone in the "Post a pic that makes you LOL" recommended starting a good story thread, I thought it was a great idea - I love good stories, and I have a lot of them


First story....

Back in the mid-1990s, I spent a considerable amount of time on airplanes (and still do to this day). I had reached the highest tier of almost every major airline's loyalty program, which came with its perks. One of the most significant advantages was the frequent automatic upgrades to first or business class, even when I didn't request them. There were several routes I flew regularly – Chicago, New York, Chicago to San Francisco, among others. I became familiar with the cabin crews on some of these routes.

One day, flying home from New York, I arrived at the gate just as they were closing the door. The gate agent and the purser (the highest-ranking flight attendant) greeted me by name and informed me that they had a "special" seat for me that day. I hurried onto the plane, stowed my carry-on in the overhead compartment, and settled into my upgraded aisle seat. I took out my newspaper (remember, it was the mid-90s) to pass the time. Glancing to my right, I realized I was sitting next to Cindy Crawford! She had either just divorced or was about to divorce Richard Gere, so I thought, "This is my chance!"

I sat there with my newspaper open, trying to come up with the perfect 'line' to start a conversation. The plane took off, and I found myself still staring at the same page of the newspaper, unable to think of anything clever to say. An hour and a half passed, and I was still in the same predicament when the plane began its descent. As we taxied to the gate, Cindy turned to me, placed her hand on my shoulder, and said, "Hi, I just want to thank you for giving me my personal space. Most people feel the need to talk my ear off on flights, and it was refreshing to have some time to myself." All I could muster in response was, "Oh, do we know each other? Who are you?"

She looked surprised and puzzled at my response, and then I burst out laughing. Finally, I confessed that I had spent the entire flight trying to think of something to say but couldn't come up with anything. She had a good laugh, and that was it - I blew my chance with Cindy Crawford.

 

[NTP2]

I knew that this was a good idea!!

I’ll try and remember a good one like yours…

 

[KenECoyote]

(Moved, wrong post.)

 

[NTP2]

Ok here is a good one,

one of my rockets had come down in a rose in a field and I was trying to get it out and not rip the parachute. Then I heard a bullet wiz past shortly followed by a bang, I jumped in a close by stream in a ditch and tried to discover who was shooting at me, it turned out that someone had started target shooting on the next field over. Well that was one problem solved so now I had to get out preferably with that rocket, I was going to hustle out of there on my belly and leave the rocket, then I realized that the field they were shooting from was 6 feet above mine, so I bent over to give 2 feet margin and got the rocket out and me with it.

Ps they were also shooting across a road and breaking laws that stop that sort of thing!

 

[KenECoyote]

Ok here is a good one,

one of my rockets had come down in a rose in a field and I was trying to get it out and not rip the parachute. Then I heard a bullet wiz past shortly followed by a bang, I jumped in a close by stream in a ditch and tried to discover who was shooting at me, it turned out that someone had started target shooting on the next field over. Well that was one problem solved so now I had to get out preferably with that rocket, I was going to hustle out of there on my belly and leave the rocket, then I realized that the field they were shooting from was 6 feet above mine, so I bent over to give 2 feet margin and got the rocket out and me with it.

Ps they were also shooting across a road and breaking laws that stop that sort of thing!

That's when you tie the chute to the body tube sideways and surrender wave it from your trench!

 

[NTP2]

That's when you tie the chute to the body tube sideways and surrender wave it from your trench!

But it wasn’t long enough, no way they could see me.

 

[kuririn]

From Skeng don on FB:
A woman went shopping. At the cash counter, she opened her purse to pay.
The cashier noticed a TV remote in her purse.
He could not control his curiosity and asked,
"Do you always carry your TV remote with you?

"
She replied " No, not always, but my husband refused to accompany me shopping today because of football match, so I took the remote."

Moral: Accompany and support your wife in her hobbies.....

The story continues....

The cashier laughed and then returned all the items that lady had purchased.
Shocked at this act, she asked the cashier what he was doing.
He said, "your husband has blocked your credit card.........."

MORAL: Always respect the hobbies of your husband.

Story continues....
Wife took out her husband's credit card from purse and swiped it. Unfortunately he didn't block his own card.
Moral: Don't underestimate the power and wisdom of your WIFE..

Story continues...
After swiping, the machine indicated, 'ENTER THE PIN SENT TO YOUR MOBILE PHONE'.......
Moral: When a man tends to lose, the machine is smart enough to save him!

She smiled to herself and reached out for the mobile which rang in her purse.
It was her husband's phone showing the forwarded SMS.
She had taken it with the remote control so he doesn't call her during her shopping.
She bought her items and returned home happily.
Moral: Don't underestimate a desperate woman!

Story continues...
On getting home, his car was gone.

A note was pasted on the door
"Couldn't find the remote. Gone out with the boys to watch the premiership match. Will be home late. Call me on my phone if you need something".

Dawn... He left with the house key too.

Moral: Don't try to control your husband.
You will always lose

 

[Sandy H.]

Meh, not too funny, but based on the above post with the 'Moral' implications and the fact that it is rocketry related, I'll craft a similar tale from my own experience.

Husband (me): Saw a post on RP about a guy selling a storage unit of rocket stuff. Its so expensive, nobody will buy it, but there's a ton of good stuff. I bet I could buy it and separate it and make some money, like my brother does (racecars in his case, but why not).
Wife: Sure, do it.
Trip to Uhaul to get a trailer, as it was actually 2 storage units not 1 and get on the road.
Get there, lots of good stuff, all as advertised, good guy nice day.
There were rockets, reloads, SU motors, books, RC stuff etc.
Fast forward a handful of months. . .
At a rocket launch, I grab a SU G80 (I think) motor and since it was stored in a non-climate controlled environment, put it in a saucer to launch.
RSO: You flown this before?
Me: Yes, a bunch of times.
RSO: Grabbing and flexing and twisting the saucer - looks good to me.
I load the rocket on the MPR pads and the LCO - 5-4-3-2-1-launch. . .
A ton of smoke starts and the motor basically starts and stops a bunch of times (like a mega-chuff) but eventually it comes up to pressure and proceeds to shut down again right after it left the rod. Orientation: flight line.
This stupid 29mm saucer managed to chase a bunch of us around, thankfully bouncing on the ground, not in the air for what seemed to be forever and thankfully only set tiny little fires that were quickly stomped out by the people the saucer was chasing.
Me - Insanely embarrassed at such a terrible flight.
RSO: WHAT DID YOU DO? (eyes looking so far through me that he could probably have seen China).
Me: Don't know, it was an old motor, maybe not stored right, so I flew it in a saucer.
RSO: That was a sugar motor!!!!!
Turns out the previous owner of the storage units was also a research flier. I was at a NAR launch. . .
He re-used the cases from SU motors and loaded them with some sort of sugar propellant, but never peeled labels or other, so I had no clue.
So, I launched a failed rocket with an EX motor at a NAR launch by accident. The definition of total fail, IMO. I packed up and just watched the rest of the day, as I felt like [a word the forum software would likely censor].
In my defense, I did not do anything intentionally against the rules, but. . .
Moral: It is your responsibility to know what you are flying, especially in public, especially at a non-EX launch.

Glad nobody got hit. Glad the micro-fires got put out quick. Bummed that I never thought that some people re-use SU composite cases for EX, but I don't fly EX, so didn't know what questions to ask.

The clue that *should* or *could* have clued me in was that there was blue tape on top of the motor that said 'no ejection' but I assumed (yes ASSumed) that the guy was flying them as outboard motors and just emptied the ejection charge, hence the choice to fly in a saucer vs. a conventional rocket.

The only funny part that happened was after the rocket stopped and all was safe, the on-site vendor yelled out something like "Hey Sandy, if you're going to try to kill me, close out your tab first!!!!"

Epilogue: The rest of the motors were given to a person that flew at TRA launches and was an EX flier. I never followed up to see how they performed.

 

[kuririn]

Meh, not too funny, but based on the above post with the 'Moral' implications and the fact that it is rocketry related, I'll craft a similar tale from my own experience.

Husband (me): Saw a post on RP about a guy selling a storage unit of rocket stuff. Its so expensive, nobody will buy it, but there's a ton of good stuff. I bet I could buy it and separate it and make some money, like my brother does (racecars in his case, but why not).
Wife: Sure, do it.
Trip to Uhaul to get a trailer, as it was actually 2 storage units not 1 and get on the road.
Get there, lots of good stuff, all as advertised, good guy nice day.
There were rockets, reloads, SU motors, books, RC stuff etc.
Fast forward a handful of months. . .
At a rocket launch, I grab a SU G80 (I think) motor and since it was stored in a non-climate controlled environment, put it in a saucer to launch.
RSO: You flown this before?
Me: Yes, a bunch of times.
RSO: Grabbing and flexing and twisting the saucer - looks good to me.
I load the rocket on the MPR pads and the LCO - 5-4-3-2-1-launch. . .
A ton of smoke starts and the motor basically starts and stops a bunch of times (like a mega-chuff) but eventually it comes up to pressure and proceeds to shut down again right after it left the rod. Orientation: flight line.
This stupid 29mm saucer managed to chase a bunch of us around, thankfully bouncing on the ground, not in the air for what seemed to be forever and thankfully only set tiny little fires that were quickly stomped out by the people the saucer was chasing.
Me - Insanely embarrassed at such a terrible flight.
RSO: WHAT DID YOU DO? (eyes looking so far through me that he could probably have seen China).
Me: Don't know, it was an old motor, maybe not stored right, so I flew it in a saucer.
RSO: That was a sugar motor!!!!!
Turns out the previous owner of the storage units was also a research flier. I was at a NAR launch. . .
He re-used the cases from SU motors and loaded them with some sort of sugar propellant, but never peeled labels or other, so I had no clue.
So, I launched a failed rocket with an EX motor at a NAR launch by accident. The definition of total fail, IMO. I packed up and just watched the rest of the day, as I felt like [a word the forum software would likely censor].
In my defense, I did not do anything intentionally against the rules, but. . .
Moral: It is your responsibility to know what you are flying, especially in public, especially at a non-EX launch.

Glad nobody got hit. Glad the micro-fires got put out quick. Bummed that I never thought that some people re-use SU composite cases for EX, but I don't fly EX, so didn't know what questions to ask.

The clue that *should* or *could* have clued me in was that there was blue tape on top of the motor that said 'no ejection' but I assumed (yes ASSumed) that the guy was flying them as outboard motors and just emptied the ejection charge, hence the choice to fly in a saucer vs. a conventional rocket.

The only funny part that happened was after the rocket stopped and all was safe, the on-site vendor yelled out something like "Hey Sandy, if you're going to try to kill me, close out your tab first!!!!"

Epilogue: The rest of the motors were given to a person that flew at TRA launches and was an EX flier. I never followed up to see how they performed.

Not your fault.
Seller should have disclosed to you that they were sugar motors in spent casings.

 

[kuririn]

Someone in the "Post a pic that makes you LOL" recommended starting a good story thread, I thought it was a great idea - I love good stories, and I have a lot of them


First story....

Back in the mid-1990s, I spent a considerable amount of time on airplanes (and still do to this day). I had reached the highest tier of almost every major airline's loyalty program, which came with its perks. One of the most significant advantages was the frequent automatic upgrades to first or business class, even when I didn't request them. There were several routes I flew regularly – Chicago, New York, Chicago to San Francisco, among others. I became familiar with the cabin crews on some of these routes.

One day, flying home from New York, I arrived at the gate just as they were closing the door. The gate agent and the purser (the highest-ranking flight attendant) greeted me by name and informed me that they had a "special" seat for me that day. I hurried onto the plane, stowed my carry-on in the overhead compartment, and settled into my upgraded aisle seat. I took out my newspaper (remember, it was the mid-90s) to pass the time. Glancing to my right, I realized I was sitting next to Cindy Crawford! She had either just divorced or was about to divorce Richard Gere, so I thought, "This is my chance!"

I sat there with my newspaper open, trying to come up with the perfect 'line' to start a conversation. The plane took off, and I found myself still staring at the same page of the newspaper, unable to think of anything clever to say. An hour and a half passed, and I was still in the same predicament when the plane began its descent. As we taxied to the gate, Cindy turned to me, placed her hand on my shoulder, and said, "Hi, I just want to thank you for giving me my personal space. Most people feel the need to talk my ear off on flights, and it was refreshing to have some time to myself." All I could muster in response was, "Oh, do we know each other? Who are you?"

She looked surprised and puzzled at my response, and then I burst out laughing. Finally, I confessed that I had spent the entire flight trying to think of something to say but couldn't come up with anything. She had a good laugh, and that was it - I blew my chance with Cindy Crawford.

Reminds me of an appearance on the Tonight Show by Nicole Kidman where she tells the story of a date she had with Jimmy Fallon.

 

[RocketGeekInFL]

Bob, a 65-year-old, extremely wealthy widower, shows up at the Country Club with a breathtakingly beautiful 25-year-old blonde: she proceeds to knock everyone's socks off with her youthful appeal and charm. She also hangs on Bob's arm and listens intently to his every word.

His buddies at the club are all aghast.

They corner him and ask. "Bob, how'd you get the trophy girlfriend?"

Bob replies. "Girlfriend? She's my wife!"

They're knocked over, but continue to ask.

"So, how'd you persuade her to marry you?"

Bob says: "I lied about my age."

His friends respond:

"What, did you tell her you were only 50?"

Bob smiles and says:

"No, I told her I was 90."

 

[RocketGeekInFL]

A first-grade teacher, Ms. Brooks, was having trouble with one of her more precocious students. The teacher asked, “Luther, what exactly is your problem?”

Luther answered, “I'm too smart for the 1st grade. My sister is in the 3rd grade and I'm smarter than she! I think I should be in the 3rd grade, too!”

Ms. Brooks finally had enough; she took Luther to the principal's office. While he waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the situation to the principal. The principal told Ms. Brooks he would give the boy a test. If he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the 1st grade and behave. She agreed.

Luther was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he happily agreed to take the test.

Principal: “What is 3 x 3?”

Luther: “9.”

Principal: “What is 6 x 6?”

Luther: “36.”

And so it went with every question the principal thought a bright 3rd grader should know.

The principal looks at Ms. Brooks and tells her, “Y’know, I reckon Luther can go to the 3rd grade.”

But Ms. Brooks is still sceptical of the little bugger and says to the principal, “Not so fast, let me ask him a few questions.”

The principal and Luther both agree.

Ms. Brooks asks, “What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?”

Luther, after a moment: “Legs.”

Ms. Brooks: “What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?”

The principal wondered why would she ask such a question!

Luther replied: “Pockets.” to the Principal’s great relief…..

Ms. Brooks: “What does a dog do that a man steps into?”
Luther: “Pants.”

By now, the principal is sitting forward with his mouth hanging open.

Ms. Brooks: “What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky?”

Now the principal's eyes open really wide and before he could intervene, Luther replied, “Bubble gum.”

Ms. Brooks: “What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and adog does on three legs?”

Luther: “Shake hands.”

The principal is now trembling with apprehension as Ms. Brooks asks the last question.

Ms. Brooks: “What word starts with an 'F' and ends in 'K' and indicates a great deal of heat and excitement?”

Luther: "Firetruck.”

The principal breaths a huge sigh of relief and tells the teacher, “Put the little ******* in 5th Grade; I got the last seven questions wrong myself.”

 

[kuririn]

 

[Fishhead]

So, this guy I know who we'll call me was in a math class in college. Nothing fancy, mind you, just probability and statistics or something of the sort. Midway through class I felt a sneeze coming on and, not wanting to gross the whole class out with my projectiles, I tried to hold it. When I did, I farted. Not just any fart, but one that sounded like it was played by a trombone. The whole class burst out laughing, me included, while the instructor stood looking stunned in the front of the class, obviously trying not to laugh. When the laughter had subsided somewhat, I said "Sorry, I didn't know I was loaded," which set the class off again, including the instructor, who apologized profusely for it.

 

[kuririn]

Yesterday, as (my son) Sean and I traveled to NC for his soccer tourney we pulled off at a small gas station for a drink.
While I paid, I gave Sean the keys so he could head back out to the car.
It took me a little while to checkout and as I exited the store, I noticed Sean’s door opened and he was walking away from my car towards a man in a wheelchair.
He was an older African American gentleman, with amputated legs and appeared “homeless”.
My first reaction, sadly, was:
“Oh crap! He is hitting Sean up for money and has called him over.”
But as I walked closer Sean had clearly had a short conversation with the man, turned around and headed back to the car.
So I did the same.
As I entered the car, I asked him what that was all about. “Nothing Dad. I just was asking if he needed help.
He said no thanks, that he was fine but thanked me for asking.”
See, at first glance I didn’t even notice that the gentleman was attempting to cross a gravel parking lot, full of potholes, in a wheelchair using only his hands.
I didn’t notice that my 11yo child was man enough to see this in the mirror of my car, drop his electronics he was playing, get out and offer to help the guy.
As we began to leave Sean asked if we could give the man some money.
We pulled up beside him and I asked if he could use a few bucks.
He said:
“No thank you, I’m fine.
Your son was a real gentleman and gave me all I needed today. God Bless. ”
We rolled up the window and began to drive off.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sean wave at him and he waved back with a huge smile on his face.
Would I have gotten out of the car and done the same?
I don’t post this looking for any praise for Sean.
I post this to expose a real nastiness we have in our world.
We spew such bile and hatred on every news channel, every Facebook post, every tweet.
It’s not a right or left thing.
We all do it.
We have forgotten to look at the world through the eyes of a child.
Sean wasn’t looking for praise for what he did.
He didn’t even know I would see it.
He just saw a man that he thought needed help.
If we all just stopped once a day and tried to make one person smile.
One stranger stop and think “hey, that was nice”.
Could we make real change?
As I said, this was a post that would paint a poor picture of my judgment.
But don’t many of us have the same reactions many times?
Maybe it’s just me.
Maybe I’m the one that needs to change.
I just pray the world doesn’t change this kid."
Credit: Blanton O’Neal

 

[kuririn]

I wasn't aware of this til now.
Duh.
From Gaming Ent on FB:
In one of the most heartwarming moments in sports history, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University stepped up to the plate with two runners on base, a strike against her, and a dream in her heart. What happened next was something she had never done in her entire high school or college career—she smashed her first-ever home run over the center field fence!
But the joy quickly turned into disaster. In the excitement, Sara missed first base, and as she turned to correct her mistake, she collapsed, writhing in pain from a knee injury. Crawling back to first base, she was unable to continue. Her team couldn’t assist her without disqualifying the home run, and a pinch-runner would mean it would only count as a single.
Then, something extraordinary happened.
In a remarkable display of sportsmanship, Mallory Holtman, the star first baseman of Central Washington University and her teammate Liz Wallace decided to do the unthinkable. They carried their injured opponent around the bases, ensuring her home run would count. These two players, whose team was competing in a crucial playoff game, sacrificed their own playoff hopes to make sure Sara’s moment of triumph wasn’t lost.
With Sara resting her arms on their shoulders and her teammates watching in awe, Holtman and Wallace guided her carefully around the diamond, stopping at each base so Sara could gently touch it with her good leg.
"It was the right thing to do," Holtman said, reflecting on her selfless act. "She hit it over the fence. She deserved the home run."
This moment wasn’t just a display of athletic skill—it was about compassion, integrity, and the true spirit of sportsmanship. Central Washington, the very team that helped Sara, was eliminated from the playoffs by the three-run homer, but Holtman and Wallace’s act of kindness resonated far beyond the field.
Tucholsky, whose season ended with a likely torn ACL, recalled, "The only thing I remember is Mallory asking which leg was injured. I said my right, and she said, 'Okay, we’ll drop you gently, and you’ll touch each base with your left.'"
As they reached home plate, both teams were in tears. Coach Gary Frederick of Central Washington, with over 14 years of coaching experience, said it was "unbelievable," while Western Oregon coach Pam Knox called it a moment of true character.
Sara’s home run sealed Western Oregon's 4-2 victory, but the day wasn’t defined by winning or losing—it was about humanity and the bonds we share through competition.
This legendary act of sportsmanship reminds us all that sometimes the greatest victories happen off the scoreboard.
#Sportsmanship #IntegrityInSports #UnforgettableMoments #TrueCharacter #Heartwarming



This happened in 2008. The incident won an ESPY award for the three players involved.

 

[BABAR]

So, this guy I know who we'll call me was in a math class in college. Nothing fancy, mind you, just probability and statistics or something of the sort. Midway through class I felt a sneeze coming on and, not wanting to gross the whole class out with my projectiles, I tried to hold it. When I did, I farted. Not just any fart, but one that sounded like it was played by a trombone. The whole class burst out laughing, me included, while the instructor stood looking stunned in the front of the class, obviously trying not to laugh. When the laughter had subsided somewhat, I said "Sorry, I didn't know I was loaded," which set the class off again, including the instructor, who apologized profusely for it.

True story.
While I was at the Air Force Academy in my organic chemistry class, suddenly there was a fairly noxious odor which did not smell like it came from any of our laboratory experiments.

Without thinking, I looked up and said, “OK, who foofed?”

I did not realize that behind me was my instructor. I was a cadet second class, and he was an Air Force major, which at that time seemed to be an exulted rank.

My instructor asked, “ Who what? Mr. Markel?”

I replied, “I asked, ‘Who foofed?’ Sir.”

He said, “I guess I foofed, Mr. Markel.”

Not knowing what to say, I just blurted, “And an excellent one it was, Sir!”

 

[K'Tesh]

This one always brings a smile to my face when I tell it... Yes, it's a repost, and FYI, it's a true story, and I didn't change the names to protect anyone...


Here's the ultimate in "Stupid Question"...

When I was in England, I had the unfortunate luck of coming across Airman Ledbetter (I believe he was a Sr Airman who was eventually promoted to Seargent... Before getting hit with Article 15s which got him busted back down a grade (or 3)). Ledbetter was an expert insult artist. You couldn't walk past the jerk without him shouting some kind of insult at you. If you were dumb enough to try to come back at him, he'd rip you again. If you were really stupid, you'd try something you came up with after 5 or more minutes, and his retort would be even more humiliating. I rapidly learned that avoidance was the best way to avoid being the butt of his jokes. I learned more of his routine, and managed to mostly avoid contact with him, and his buddies in the barracks as much as possible.

Until a day in August 1990, shortly before I was to leave England, and the USAF (I was RIF'd along with 44,000 others). My (now Ex-) fiancee was on my arm as we were heading to the BX for something or another. Ledbetter and his buddies were camped out in front of the barracks by the barbecue pit drinking beer, and cooking something when we emerged from the building.

He then asked his stupid question...

"Hey! Parsons! You going to the chow hall?"

Sensing another verbal attack by this @$$, I quickened my pace, but he asked again.

Bowing to the inevitable, I responded with a simple "No", and kept going.

He then threw out his zinger... "I hear they're serving fish... Maybe you'll get lucky and choke on a bone."

Then I had that flash of brilliance that so many people wish for...

"Yeah Ledbetter... You'd know ALL ABOUT choking on bones!"

There was a stunned silence from all his drinking buddies, until one of them said... "DUDE! HE BURNED YOU!!! HE BURNED YOU BAD!!! And YOU set yourself up for it!"

That was the last time I ever saw him.

Shortly afterwards, I was back in the US. Although I didn't get to win the girl's hand in marriage, I did manage to pull one over on that @$$hat.

Oh... and Ledbetter... Wherever you are... I want you to know that I love telling this... And I tell it often.

 

[BABAR]

After 20 years of marriage, a man told his wife that he was leaving her for a younger woman. He and his wife had been separated for sometime, and she had been living alone in their townhouse in a very nice neighborhood. He had a shark for a divorce attorney, and she got very little. He even got the townhouse. She would have to move out.



On her last night at the house, she had a fancy dinner delivered from a Chinese restaurant that included shrimp. She had the last meal in the house with a glass of wine.



After the meal, she took the leftover shrimp tails and placed them in the curtain rods in the living room and in the family room and bedroom. She moved out the next day. The ex-husband and his newer younger wife moved into the house. With an a week, the house began to stink. The husband had fumigators come in, had the rug replaced, had the furniture cleaned, had the curtains replaced. Nothing they did seem to relieve the house of the horrible odor.



His new wife insisted that they move around. Without telling his ex-wife about the issue with the odor, he had his attorney contact her attorney, and they revised the divorce agreement, so the townhouse was returned to her in exchange for some other securities.



Three weeks later, she moved back into their former home.



It was odor free.



she noted that her husband had not only taken all of the furniture, all of the lightbulbs, he had taken all the toilet paper.



She also noted that he had taken the curtain rods.



She smiled.

 

[jqavins]

This is both a laugh and a smile. I heard it on Saturday (Sunday?) on the radio. The "snap out of it" moment can come to a person in many forms.

A young woman had suffered the deaths of two life partners, an MS diagnosis which resulted in the end of her career as an army mental health specialist, and the death of a grandmother who had been her rock through the other losses, all in the space of a handful of years. She was in a profound depression. One day, she was looking out her back door and saw a beautiful fox, which was a unique sight for her yard. It took a drink from the water bowl that she keeps outside for her two dogs. [I suspect the presence of two dogs is why foxes don't come into her yard.] She watched it, thinking how beautiful it was.

Then the fox then turned and took a dump in the water bowl.

She thought to herself "This is what my life has become: a load of fox shít in a water bowl. I need to do something to change it!" And that's when she got up, got out of the house, and started doing things like (I don't remember specifically) hiking, other stuff, and ultimately a climb the Everest base camp.

ATTENTION: Please do not think that I'm suggesting that people suffering from depression need to "snap out of it." Yes, that can happen, but it is most certainly the exception.


Here's the Story Corps podcast.
https://storycorps.org/stories/i-knew-i-had-to-keep-going-a-veteran-learns-to-live-after-loss/