Dumb things I used to think or do

[tubemonkey]

For all the people who have done stupid things and survived with little or no injuries, there are many who did the same things and suffered terrible injuries or death.

Such is life and looking back at my teenage years, I'm surprised I never suffered any serious injuries.

Scrambling on sharp coral cliffs high above crashing ocean waves or blindly backing into a small narrow cave without first checking to see if there were any dangerous critters in there, were definitely not the sanest things I've ever done. But hey, I was young and invincible.

[Barbara1955]

I was 4 years I watched baby gators be born & mom carry them to water. I Thought the babies were Lizards! I took one! I was saving it from being eaten! Mom Chased me! I still don't know how I made it to the house! When I got there my mom made me leave it outside. I thru a fit but of course she won. I left that poor Lizard to be eaten by that Gator! Wasn't till I was an adult I found out that Gator was the mom!

[GeeCrow]

I used to juggle 1 gallon sized jugs of milk late at night at the grocery store when no one was around to see... Until one time I missed catching a jug & it burst all over the place. Sadly, that was the last time I juggled milk jugs. Mistakes sometimes come at a severe price!

[DreamWriter]

I drank gasoline that was stored in our backyard shed when I was about four years old. That was pretty stupid! I had to go to the hospital and have my stomach pumped.

[5thWiggleWife]

When I was a child I thought horseradish came from horses.

[issybird]

Like Anne of Green Gables, I thought diamonds were purple. There was a shock of recognition when I got to Anne!

[wodin]

Originally Posted by 5thWiggleWife

When I was a child I thought horseradish came from horses.

It doesn't?

[FizzyWater]

My dad used to tell us that Dr. Pepper had pepper in it, so none of us kids wanted to mooch a drink from his soda (which we did pretty often to our mother and her Pepsi).

[cromag]

I did most of my really dumb, dangerous deeds before I was ten.

When I was two years old I managed to take my tricycle out onto Route 17 in northern NJ (a major commuter highway, even in the early 50s) because I felt I belonged out there with the cars.

When I was six we lived near a small brook that had some large storm runoff drains feeding into it. Unless there was a storm they were pretty empty. I used to see how far I could crawl into them before I lost my nerve.

Thankfully I never earned a Darwin Award, though I probably should have at least a few times. Teenagers, especially boys, are rather stupid what with all the hormones pumping through their bodies, and their false sense of immortality, and quite frankly because they haven't lived/survived long enough to NOT be stupid yet. There is a reason why we old guys can start wars but manage to send our teenagers to fight them for us. If we had to fight them ourselves there wouldn't be very many wars! I remember a few times, okay several, when as a stupid teen I drank way too much then drove home very impaired. I'm extremely grateful I never had a wreck or killed or hurt anyone. My cringe factor with that period (late 1970s) is very high. The stupidity factor was off the scales! Thankfully we grow up eventually and become less stupid over time.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Thankfully I never earned a Darwin Award, though I probably should have at least a few times. Teenagers, especially boys, are rather stupid what with all the hormones pumping through their bodies, and their false sense of immortality, and quite frankly because they haven't lived/survived long enough to NOT be stupid yet. There is a reason why we old guys can start wars but manage to send our teenagers to fight them for us. If we had to fight them ourselves there wouldn't be very many wars! I remember a few times, okay several, when as a stupid teen I drank way too much then drove home very impaired. I'm extremely grateful I never had a wreck or killed or hurt anyone. My cringe factor with that period (late 1970s) is very high. The stupidity factor was off the scales! Thankfully we grow up eventually and become less stupid over time.

Wasn't me, but as a teenager a friend drank nearly a pint of everclear. This probably prevented a bigger stupid since the everclear was being used in a bong. (Early 80's)
*do not try either of these at home.
And our kids and grandkids wonder why they can't get away with anything.

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Wasn't me, but as a teenager a friend drank nearly a pint of everclear. This probably prevented a bigger stupid since the everclear was being used in a bong. (Early 80's)
*do not try either of these at home.
And our kids and grandkids wonder why they can't get away with anything.

Yep, I remember wondering how mom figured out everything we were up to, sometimes even before we committed the bad deed! Later I would realize it was because she and/or dad had done much of the same stuff when they were young! And yep in the mid to late 1970s the wacky-tobaccy was everywhere. You couldn't go to a concert without having a reefer passed to you. I never became a stoner by any means, but I did enjoy it on few occasions, though mostly as an add-on ingredient to brownies. Everclear was really strong at 190 proof (95% alcohol). Bars used to put it in a large drink called a Hurricane. They won't make them that potent anymore though as society no longer embraces the drinking culture of 1970s and back. They have cracked down on that, and rightfully so. Too many deadly wrecks. I remember some of the guys when I was in HS would poor Everclear over the rear car tires and then spin the tires. It would cause flames, and at least one blow out. Everclear was wicked stuff!

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Yep, I remember wondering how mom figured out everything we were up to, sometimes even before we committed the bad deed! Later I would realize it was because she and/or dad had done much of the same stuff when they were young! And yep in the mid to late 1970s the wacky-tobaccy was everywhere. You couldn't go to a concert without having a reefer passed to you. I never became a stoner by any means, but I did enjoy it on few occasions, though mostly as an add-on ingredient to brownies. Everclear was really strong at 190 proof (95% alcohol). Bars used to put it in a large drink called a Hurricane. They won't make them that potent anymore though as society no longer embraces the drinking culture of 1970s and back. They have cracked down on that, and rightfully so. Too many deadly wrecks. I remember some of the guys when I was in HS would poor Everclear over the rear car tires and then spin the tires. It would cause flames, and at least one blow out. Everclear was wicked stuff!

Hurricane, Singapore Slings, and assorted other let's throw all sorts of high proof alcohols together.

Oh by the way, it was hard to find reefer at a country concert.
Now did you know that Reefer Madness came out in 1937?

[Cinisajoy]

You have to consider I was a teenager in the early 80's. It seemed to be a time of parents finding themselves (and either not paying attention to what the kids were doing or flat out giving the kids alcohol or drugs or both.)
Now I know not all parents were like that but many were.

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Hurricane, Singapore Slings, and assorted other let's throw all sorts of high proof alcohols together.

Oh by the way, it was hard to find reefer at a country concert.
Now did you know that Reefer Madness came out in 1937?

Not in Austin, Texas! We had Willie and Waylan and the boys to thank for that. The Armadillo World Headquarters (concert club) had so much reefer smoke floating about you would almost get high just breathing the air! But in all fairness, Austin is a whole 'nother city from any other place in Texas. Most places in Texas were rather anal-retentive about that kind of thing.