Seed NewsvineHave you ever heard someone say, "I wouldn't never normally do that, except for the life experience." Some things in life you do just once so you can say you did it. Take for instance bungee jumping. Remember that fad? Everyone had to do it just once. I never did it. Perhaps I should have.
But that's not to say I'm not a guy that doesn't get out there and try new things. I'm willing to do things unconventional too. Heck... look at how I met my wife. It took some unusual set of circumstances that lead me to be willing and try to meet a mail order bride, but I was willing to try something unconventional for nobel reasons.
A friend of mine is hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. Now that is a life experience. Very few people will be able to make that claim. He's definitely got one up on bungee jumping. He's doing the walk with his wife which to me is aces. That's the way to live, have someone you care about to share the best life has to offer. They will always have something to talk about with that experience, let alone the bond.
Some of us have never been to New York. That is a place everyone should visit. I'm spending my weekend there this week so that comes to mind. I have a photo with the tickets from that day in the frame of the time my son and I travelled to the top of the Empire State building in Manhattan. Visiting special places means a lot more if you have someone to share it with. I suppose visiting places is something you would put high on a list of memorable life experiences. From the Great Wall of China to the Eiffel tower. Visiting places of such iconic importance stay with you forever in your mind.
Then there is the doing of things you wouldn't normally experience. I recall once going to Baltimore for convention. At the end of the day an Orioles game was about to begin. I walked a block over to the stadium. At the ticket counter they said they had the ulimate ticket available if I wanted it. It was directly behind homeplate. I mean absolutly, directly. The seat number was like double zero or double "X". It was something really obscure. Being that the Orioles were playing the Phillies I decided..."I wouldn't never normally do this, but this is a life experience." The situation presented itself and I knew it was one that may not come again. Thankfully the ticket was not obnoxiously priced. How often does anyone get to see their favorite team from directly behind home plate? I couldn't pass it up, and I'm glad I didn't.
While other life experiences are just ones that mean nothing until you have someone special with you. Each year my children and I go to the tree farm for our Christmas tree. Of course that experience would mean nothing without going to pick out the tree with someone you love. The same goes for Little League. I've now lived through two years of managing my own son's little league team. It is priceless and the memories are deep inside.
Some experiences are just daring in nature. I recall an old girlfriend of mine. We went to Myrtle Beach together for a couple weeks when we were just twenty. We were hardly out of our teens. That week was mind blowing with all we had done and stands out in my mind. Simple fun, two kids doing kid stuff. But one thing stands out to this day. We were fooling around in the back bay at Murrells Inlet when a giant head boat came out of nowhere behind us and knocked us over in the water. We were sitting in a foot of water. Little did we know that only 30 feet away a waterway held deep water for boating vessels to run the inlet to the ocean. That boat came along and sucked the water away from us without us realizing it and then, swoosh! A big wave knocked us over! We laughed harder than I can ever remember. Half naked in the water we saw 50 to 100 faces looking down at us and we all just laughed. Being 700 miles from home, we had nothing to do but laugh.
Life is about taking risks for the sake of experiences. I don't necessarily mean stupid risks with your life. I mean doing something at risk of what others may think when you should realize, it doesn't matter what others think. Sort of like the story above but more like this one...
A couple years ago when I was still married my ex wife told me how on a personal trip on her own to Manhattan she saw a Spider-Man dressed in Times Square. She said he was horribly dressed and was getting a few dollars just for a photo with him with Times Square as a backdrop. Now if you don't know, I had a Spider-Man costume of my own that I bought for Halloween and kids events. We were planning on the family going to Times square soon as we had to drop her at the bus terminal right off Times Square. No sooner does she tell me this, my son joins in. "Dad, you gotta do that!" The two of them go on encouraging me to dress up as Spider-Man... I'm thinking... "This is silly. I don't need the money." The mere thought of it was embarrassing. But somehow I felt a family spirit to consider it for the sake of my son. I was not sold on the idea but I did think... "No one would recognize me." Then I'd think.... "No this is crazy." In the end I only agreed to put the costume in the car.
Our trip to Manhattan went off without a hitch. We dropped my wife at the bus terminal and walked off to see the sights. Eventually the sun was going down and my son started in. "Dad." ... "Yes" I answered. "Are you gonna do it?" Immediately I knew what he was getting at. "No son. That's just crazy. Why?"
He started in on me, "We can make money! You heard mom, she said the guy that was doing it was horrible and your costume is real! You'll make lots of money!" I answered, "Son, I don't need the money." We continued on. I started thinking to myself. "If I do this, it will be a life experience."
I caved in eventually. "OK, I'll do it." I answered, "But only under one circumstance." He hung on every word. "What?" He asked.
"You have to do the selling. You ask people to get their photo with Spider-Man and you have to collect and hold the money. I have no pockets." To my amazement my then 8 year old son jumped at the chance. "I'll do it!" I then added. "We'll split the money. The better you sell the more you'll earn." This was all he needed to hear. I was afraid for him though. He was only 8 and if we did this, he'd have to keep at it. It would actually be work for him. I walked back to our car at the parking authority and tried to get over the craziness of changing into this costume at the side of my car. I kept telling myself... "Life experience.... life experience." And again... for my son.
Walking through Manhattan dressed as Spider-Man was a hoot. I figured, "OK, now in in this costume, I'm Spider-Man. Kids don't want to see a freak." For something tounge-in-cheek I knew to take it serious enough. People started shouting... "Hey Spidey!" I'd wave. It was fun. I decided to make it fun.
Soon after we were in Times Square and my son is dutifully calling out, "Get your photo with Spider-Man!" Not once did my son call me dad. He'd escort me over to people as "Spider-Man". He took it serious and I was proud of him. Two hours later it was sundown. It was dark and we were back at the car counting our cash. We earned around $80.00 and my son knew exactly what he wanted with his half the money. He had eyed up something earlier that he wanted. There was a man on the sidewalk sketching people for $25.00. We came back and my son parted with his hard earned cash for his own life experience. He sat for a good twenty minutes while being sketched. We now have that drawing framed side by side with one of his brother. Oh... and I took us to dinner at Times Square with my half our earnings. So it goes to show with a little risk, some life experiences are really rewarding.
