I’ve done lots of risky things…but the one incident that nearly took my life happened on a gloriously beautiful—but windy—day in Manhattan. Standing at the busy street corner, waiting for the light (or the traffic to thin, which ever came first) my favorite silk scarf blew off and was immediately whisked underneath a large truck parked at the curb. I loved this scarf…I couldn’t bear to part with it (it was, after all, a gift from a precious person). I crouched down and saw that it was caught on the front tire of the truck and so I ran around the front of the truck and without a moment’s hesitation or thought, bent down to pick it up, which meant, of course, that I had thrust my head out into the oncoming traffic—just as another, HUGER truck blew past, honking and swerving, just barely missing me…it felt like it was just inches from taking my head off my shoulders. I’ve dived off cliffs, driven ridiculously fast, played “cat and mouse” with other drivers, hiked alone…all sorts of silly, dangerous things…but the silk scarf incident left me shaking, frozen in my tracks, and feeling totally stupid…but so, so grateful that I still had my scarf and that it wasn’t greasy!

I once accepted a ride from a total stranger because I was afraid I’d be late for work. My bus was late, and the guy looked OK. Twenty-one years old at the time, I had more guts than sense. Today when I hear about young gilrs being abducted, I consider myself lucky to be alive. The second most dangerous thing I ever did (at age 22) to jump into a 12-foor swimming pool fully clothed on a bet. The reason for the danger other than ruining my clothes and hairdo: I didn’t know how to swim. I still don’t. Somebody up there must like me.

The most dangerous thing I have ever done was to adopt two children in a rural Colorado county where, friends had warned me, this way of creating family could result in my “destruction.” That was ten years ago. Today, I know that my friends spoke the truth. I have responded by writing a new kind of book, George’s Business, using Google Docs and Covenant Programs. It has been ten years in the making as of this date (11 April 2008). I’m still living and working here in the valley, not destroyed, but, along with my children and grandchildren only financially poor! I have converted my professional business into an RSVP service and enjoy becoming a writer and a journalist.

Before I became a quadriplegic, I scuba dived to 100 ft off the coast of Cozumel.

Gee - I have never sought risk - except artistically - and that can be very dangerous in its own way - But I have gone hot air ballooning - and on a whitewater rafting trip made me grateful for my canoeing lessons in camp -they all came back to me in a flash! (I had made sure that I was on the lead boat with the guide, and a guy who had walked into Tibet - I figured he could take care of himself.) I rode horses (again at camp) and slid off before one jumped a fence - I sail and once made it across to Catalina on someone else’s boat, and the rudder broke, and we were steering with the outboard (where was the radio? I don’t know if we had one.) I have lived through a riot, and and earthquake in Los Angeles - and in 1968 barely escaped being slammed into a set of plate glass doors by the NYPD, as I exited a place we were “occupying.” Sometimes the adrenaline just kicks in - as when I jumped out of my car after I had been sideswiped and started yelling what the @#$% have you done to my CAR? Later I thought it might have been a gang member and I drove around looking for matching dents and paint damage. I was confronted with the casting couch scenario & realized that I was in an empty office building on the old MGM lot, and no one would hear me if I screamed - I talked my way out of that, and had to phone a friend to calm me down before I could drive all the way back to Hollywood. In college, doing drugs like cocaine - even worse once in L.A. because you had no idea what it had been cut with - I stopped that. Luckily my first experience had been on stuff straight from S. America, so I knew the difference. Confronting my Vietnam vet ex-husband when he got drunk and would take out his semi-automatic submachine gun, just like he had in ‘Nam - Leaving him, when I wondered if he would use his arsenal to blow my head off - (Luckily, I had discovered that he was basically a coward…& one of his army buddies would have beat him to a pulp if he had tried to harm me.) And then there were mental forays - a hallunicatory state they never have figured out - I think it was the result of a toxic spill on a nearby freeway….and it passed. A terrible paranoid vision of evil forces - whom I confronted with the positive existence of Mozart and Bach! - Hmm, I guess there have been more thrills in my life than I thought - But most of my risks have been more or less calculated…I have no desire to sky dive or bungee jump just for the thrill - My life is exciting enough!

Date Rape. It haunts me everyday of my life. I’m hoping that in my dotage, my mind remains clear but that is one experience I would happily have wash away never to return.

The most dangerous thing I’ve ever done is allowed myself to be afraid of dangerous things. Life can be much like a good game of dodgeball. If I relax, consider, prepare, focus, say a prayer and jump into the game expecting to not only win, but have fun and help others, I usually … no - nix that … I have so far always come out champs. The cup of grace that I’ve been given has been overflowing all my days for which I am profoundly grateful. For my part, I must remain willing to accept - and even expect - that grace so that I might live fully, share it with others, and glorify the source from which it comes. Life is obviously full of dangers - some blatant, others unseen - never completely unavoidable. Eyes open, senses alive, dodge the balls, throw them back, enjoy the game and grow because of it. Sitting on the sidelines is not ultimately safer. When the game’s over, it’s over. I’m interested in what may come after the game, but until then, I’m ready to play like a bad dog. Winston C. had it right about fear I think. In the end, there’s not really much to fear. But there is an infinite amount to love. Sheesh! I’ve been yakkin’. Sorry. Cheers …

When I was a child I walked through the bars at the ape cage in the monkey jungle and was grabbed by the ape. My father had a tug of war with the ape to finally save me.

I’m with Joan Ganz Cooney…getting into our car with my intoxicated husband early in our marriage was the most dangerous and stupid thing I have done. This stopped (his drinking and driving) as soon as we had babies.

I spent seven years of my life training horses. I went from being the first person on them till they were ready for anyone to ride and have the broken bones and wild stories prove it. However, I have never done anything else that provided the same thill or taught me so much about people. If one can communicate clearly with a horse…people are a breeze.

The most dangerous thing I’ve done was doing drugs and going home with strange men….I am sober now for almost 20 years. I cringe when I think about it…..

I am so intimidated by everyone’s exploits! I became interested with this web site after watching Charlie Rose, and while I have enjoyed reading many of the posts, I’m not sure that an ‘ordinary’ woman is part of your audience. The most exciting thing that I have done was to give birth. I was a public school teacher (high school English) for 30 years, and I suppose, every August when I walked into a new class of students, I exhibited some degree of bravery, but I have never climbed a mountain, shot a rapid, taken LSD, etc. My life is so ordinary. Are there other women like me?

Come to think of it, driving UTI I must say… ages ago during my absolutely roaring thirties… Now there’s no roaring in that department, nor in any other for that matter… AA was THE place to go to and by 1973 I was on the wagon and very happy indeed. I was lucky never to have been caught!!!