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May 3, 2025 at 2:47 PM

The Scariest Thing You Have Ever Done

Southern Pessimist
@SouthernPessimist

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This was the topic recently on the Moe and Sally Morning Show for our local Palm Beach radio station. It is the best morning drive radio show I have ever listened to, and I have listened to many over the years. I didn't call in, but still gave the topic considerable thought. Mrs. Pessimist would almost certainly respond skydiving because she did that for the first time three years ago. I wisely chose to observe her from the ground, although I didn't see anything like what she saw.

I finally decided that the time I agreed to cook all of the food for the Women's Retreat at our church had to be the scariest thing I have ever done. Sixty-eight women with sixty-eight special dietary preferences for two days. It was on Valentine's Day weekend, of course. The Saturday night meal was an elegant affair. I chose a strawberry and spinach salad, braised beef short ribs with onion gravy, scalloped potatoes and fresh bacon-assisted green beans. Since I do not bake, I served store-bought vanilla flan with fresh berries for dessert. Have I ever mentioned that I am a radiologist, not a chef?

I heard a few complaints, but none that I took seriously. Would you cook for sixty-eight women, or would you rather jump out of an airplane?

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    Nohaaj@Nohaaj·1y

    I have jumped out of an airplane.

    I like cooking, and am fairly creative, (at least i like to think so) so would have no issue cooking for 68 women...

    What scares me...

    Demons.

    Ghosts.

    At least they used to.

    Growing up, I frequently sensed and "saw" very scary shadowy, menacing sprouts in my bedroom.

    In our basement, when I needed to go get laundry or a jar of canned tomatoes out of the pantry, I would plan my attack, get what I needed and RUN as fast as I could, back up stairs, turning off lights as I went.

    Decades later, my sister, acknowledged parallel stories. She routinely saw spirits in the same bedroom (we swapped rooms), but saw them as a friendly Mother and child, not menacing, and had similar terrifying feelings when going to the basement.

    Her theory, and she claimed some historical basis, was that our house was built on a local Indian site.

    I am a bit claustrophobic, but did some spelunking, am afraid of heights, but went rock climbing, afraid of drowning (i definitely am a doggie paddling level swimmer) but passed (barely) every Adult Boy Scout Summer camp swimming test, so i could hang with the boys, and went scuba diving.

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    Chuck@Chuckles·1y

    Have to think about it.

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    Southern Pessimist@SouthernPessimist·1y
    ReplyingtoNohaaj

    Nohaaj (View Comment):

    I have jumped out of an airplane.

    I like cooking, and am fairly creative, (at least i like to think so) so would have no issue cooking for 68 women…

    What scares me…

    Demons.

    Ghosts.

    At least they used to.

    Growing up, I frequently sensed and “saw” very scary shadowy, menacing sprouts in my bedroom.

    In our basement, when I needed to go get laundry or a jar of canned tomatoes out of the pantry, I would plan my attack, get what I needed and RUN as fast as I could, back up stairs, turning off lights as I went.

    Decades later, my sister, acknowledged parallel stories. She routinely saw spirits in the same bedroom (we swapped rooms), but saw them as a friendly Mother and child, not menacing, and had similar terrifying feelings when going to the basement.

    Her theory, and she claimed some historical basis, was that our house was built on a local Indian site.

    I am a bit claustrophobic, but did some spelunking, am afraid of heights, but went rock climbing, afraid of drowning (i definitely am a doggie paddling level swimmer) but passed (barely) every Adult Boy Scout Summer camp swimming test, so i could hang with the boys, and went scuba diving.

    Thanks for sharing that. Seriously. Since I have grown too old to be afraid of anything other than the ultimate fear we all face, I have forgotten the unlimited fears of childhood which never really leave us alone. These days trying to carry a large box up a flight of stairs when I can't see my feet or the stairs produces total panic. I do try to persevere, however. Just don't ask me to step from a ladder to a roof. That is not happening.

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    Django@Django·1y

    To quote that old song by Delbert McClinton, "I've seen the bullets in the chamber from the wrong end of a gun . . . " I'd put that pretty high on the list along with going down a ski slope when I was in over my head.

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    Southern Pessimist@SouthernPessimist·1y
    ReplyingtoDjango

    Django (View Comment):

    To quote that old song by Delbert McClinton, “I’ve seen the bullets in the chamber from the wrong end of a gun . . . ” I’d put that pretty high on the list along with going down a ski slope when I was in over my head.

    I don't remember that particular song but Delbert McClinton radio station will always be on my pandora playlist.

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