Let’s hear some stories about people’s greatest moments! Time to get inspired!
Mine are when each of my sons was born…I cried, I’ll admit. Then, when I saw where my adopted daughter had been abandoned, in the worst ghetto in a 3rd world country anyone could imagine (in China), and I knew I was getting her the hell out of THERE, well, that was a good one too.
The place in my heart that I feel most proud of was winning the Spirit of Nursing Award for Academic Achievement and service, given to one nursing graduate in our University every year by the Federal Government.
The day I received the award was the semester after I graduated, and I had to make a speech. I didn’t know I was going to go after Dr. Terry Shintani, author of the Hawaii Diet, one of my longtime role models. I had read so much about him and believed in his studies and theories.
I was so stoked and nervous to meet him, then to find out I was speaking after him, he’s…well…an EXTREMELY hard act to follow. When I addressed the student body in my speech, behind the podium my knees were seriously knocking, but I did it.
The second was getting a letter from the Dean that I was on the Dean’s list. The third was the day I got back my Nursing school aptitude exam scores which were in the 99 percentile, so I knew with my grades and my scores I could go to any school I wanted.
This is sooooooooo goofy and sappy, but if you grew up with very little material things and college seems like something only families with money are able to afford for their kids and you and your family are among the “have not’s”, you may understand why these experiences were so awesome. Although I had done ok in school, I always knew I’d never ever ever have the opportunity to attend college.
Well I did apply for college, cautiously optimistic that I would never afford it so maybe would never finish. After a few classes, I was able to get grants, tuition waivers, little scholarships and the like-- it all adds up. I worked full time and went to college full time and did really well anyway. And when you’re a student with very high grades, this really opens a lot of doors for you, money or not, these open doors end up seeing you through to the completion of your degree(s). Today I have several college degrees and am so happy and thankful that I had had the opportunities and experiences to go to college.
Not mine exactly but watching my brother save someone’s life by giving mouth to mouth. A guy had a heart attack and collapsed at the golf course. My brother went into auto pilot until help arrived. He saved the guys life. The guy only lived for a few days after that but it gave his family enough time to say goodbye. Brother has had some rough times but seeing him do that was nice.
I’d have to say one of my greatest moments was towards the end of Marine Corps boot camp, after finishing the Crucible when they hand you the Marine Corps emblem, shake your hand and call you a Marine for the first time. It was a good feeling.
After that, a three-some in Tokyo. Also a good feeling
These are truly inspiring!
I’ve had many, but I guess the best was when they put my son (who is my only child) into my arms after he was born nearly 20 years ago. Nothing has beat that since, and I’ve had some great things happen.
I’d say the two that even came a bit close was receiving my Cadet Gold award (the Girl Scout equivalent to Eagle Scout) when I was a teenager. I worked so hard for that achievement.
Also I got a full page picture last year in Skin Two magazine (at 49 years old!). I was really stoked that the publisher picked one of my pictures out of all that were submitted by the photographer they were doing an article on.
Great thread. I look forward to reading more replies.
Micki
I’ve got a few. One time when I was lifeguarding two young kids, brother (age 5) and sister (age 8) got pulled out in a rip current and the little boy freaked out. He was trying to climb up on his sister and effectively drowning both of them.
I don’t think I’ve ever ran and swam so hard in my life as I did then. They were both fine and we got a nice letter in the mail a week or so later from their mother thanking us. I was pretty proud of that one.
Also, when I made Eagle Scout. It may sound dorky but I worked my ass off for that and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used the things I learned in scouts. It’s really too bad some of the anti-gay and pro-religious attitudes BSA now has.
My greatest moment came today, incidently.
I was having a conversation with the top male at my gym; an opera singer, bodybuilder and martial artist - and he told me :
“The intensity with which you train is quite scary”
I was so elated, touched and overwhelmed with joy that my vision blurred and I just stood speechless before him - I, speechless…doesn’t happen.
I never knew that that would turn out to be the best and the single most accepting complement a respectable male could ever pay me.
It felt wonderful to be truly seen and acknowledged by a man who is not afraid and/or trying to dominate me.
The simplicity of that moment was pure a joy.
I love my intensity, you see!
Obviously the birth of my son is tops… and it’s really fun to see him grow up.
Years ago, I was working out and I asked the employee a few questions regarding weightlifting and thought that he was quite logical in his approach. One day he asked me what I did for a living. Told him I was a self-employed software consultant and that’s when he blurted out that he had no idea what to do with his life and certainly had no direction.
I said why not a computer programmer? He answered he wasn’t smart enough for that. The man had been put down by his family and friends for most of his life because he loved weightlifting, was huge (about 265lbs at the time) and very strong. But based on our conversations, I knew he was very logical.
So I told him that if he was willing to put in the time and effort and go back to school, I would mentor him and he agreed. Hell! even his girlfriend at the time thought he could not do it.
The man hated to read and hadn’t read a book since high school so I had to find a way for him to like reading. And when he asked questions, I never gave him a straight answer but managed to get him to find the answer.
It took a huge amount of energy to keep him motivated since he was full of self-doubt. At one point, he was calling me so often I was beginning to feel I was being stalked. I also wondered if it was a mistake but I couldn’t quit… he was not yet ready to be left alone.
Now, the man just loves reading and is a sponge when it comes to knowledge. Within four years, he had gone from a 13 thousand dollar job to a six-figure salary. Got the family, big house and toys. His wife, then girlfriend, is quite happy with the development.
He kept thanking me for months and months after that so I had to tell to shut the fuck up… he was getting on my nerves.
He doesn’t talk to me anymore. He hates me…
just kidding. We’re still great friends.
I motivated him and he did the rest… still one of my greatest moments.
[quote]thighlord wrote:
Obviously the birth of my son is tops… and it’s really fun to see him grow up.
Years ago, I was working out and I asked the employee a few questions regarding weightlifting and thought that he was quite logical in his approach. One day he asked me what I did for a living. Told him I was a self-employed software consultant and that’s when he blurted out that he had no idea what to do with his life and certainly had no direction.
I said why not a computer programmer? He answered he wasn’t smart enough for that. The man had been put down by his family and friends for most of his life because he loved weightlifting, was huge (about 265lbs at the time) and very strong. But based on our conversations, I knew he was very logical.
So I told him that if he was willing to put in the time and effort and go back to school, I would mentor him and he agreed. Hell! even his girlfriend at the time thought he could not do it.
The man hated to read and hadn’t read a book since high school so I had to find a way for him to like reading. And when he asked questions, I never gave him a straight answer but managed to get him to find the answer.
It took a huge amount of energy to keep him motivated since he was full of self-doubt. At one point, he was calling me so often I was beginning to feel I was being stalked. I also wondered if it was a mistake but I couldn’t quit… he was not yet ready to be left alone.
Now, the man just loves reading and is a sponge when it comes to knowledge. Within four years, he had gone from a 13 thousand dollar job to a six-figure salary. Got the family, big house and toys. His wife, then girlfriend, is quite happy with the development.
He kept thanking me for months and months after that so I had to tell to shut the fuck up… he was getting on my nerves.
He doesn’t talk to me anymore. He hates me…
just kidding. We’re still great friends.
I motivated him and he did the rest… still one of my greatest moments.[/quote]
That’s a great story. You deserve to be very proud.
So this is where I am supposed to write that my son being born was incredible, well I dont have a son.
My greatest moment is a weird one, it was the first time that I ever had 2 girls at the same time.
I know that there has been many crazy times since the first but…
My greatest moment was the first time that I had 2 chicks.
I am sure I will think of a better one, but-
Picking up a big, outside (not a window unit) air conditioner off the ground a putting it in a mobile home (3 feet off the groud or so).
And at my last job my supervisor (in his 30’s) asking me to break the bolts loose on the tooling of the coping machine. It feels great when a grown man has to ask a snot-nosed 18 year old kid to do something for him cause he aint strong enough.
last week when all of the bars/liqour stores that I went into to check for compliance sold to me. I never, ever run 100%.
[quote]BarneyFife wrote:
last week when all of the bars/liqour stores that I went into to check for compliance sold to me. I never, ever run 100%.[/quote]
I love those bars, Barney.
Go easy on 'em.
[quote]Ghost22 wrote:
BarneyFife wrote:
last week when all of the bars/liqour stores that I went into to check for compliance sold to me. I never, ever run 100%.
I love those bars, Barney.
Go easy on 'em.[/quote]
Due to kansas’s fucked up fine schedule, bars can make so much money selling to minors that they could EASILY make up for the fine, even if they got busted everyday. But, my job isn’t to set the fines, my job is to see if bars/liqour stores card, or not.
Well, this probably means nothing but Im very proud of this:
-Receiving my defense rookie of the year diploma, My parents couldnt be there for our last game but my coach step on and said that he will be very proud of give it to me instead of my dad, Little me rookie of the year!.
-And whilst working as a recreation agent in cancun, mexico I took out of the water 3 people that were drowning.
the guy was hangover and was just able to hold to his torpedo so I went in and took them out.
I got a sponsorship from that hotel as recognition for that.
When I recieved a letter from my college indicating I had met all requirements for graduation and would be recieving my degree.
College was a real struggle for me. I’ve never been much of a student. I considered dropping out more than once and came close to flunking out at one point. So having that letter in my hands after all that was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.
My greatest moment was July 4th of this year when my girlfriend at the time said ‘yes.’ We are now engaged to be married next August 11th. After that day my proudest moment will have to change to; when my fiance said ‘I do.’
One moment in my top 10 list was when my 24 yr old stepdaughter was overheard referring to me as: “my real father, not my biological father”.
My greatest moment in life…
I was sitting on a bench in Bryant Park (Midtown Manhattan) with a girl who has since become my girlfriend for the past three and a half years.
Enjoying the beautiful weather and the novelty of trees and grass in the middle of the city.
Kissing her and realizing, “holy crap, I’m in love with this girl”.
I remember looking up into the night sky feeling like the luckiest guy in the world.
I’m proposing to her tomorrow as a matter of fact so I guess I’ll be updating this post shortly!
I had a moment of clarity once, long ago. I think!