…have been charged by an elephant, a hippo and a crocodile.
…had an impala watch me pee (and with great curiosity, I might add).
…chased a pack of wild dogs across the Okavango Delta as they were hot on the trail of zebra.
I have…
been escorted out of the the sculpture garden of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum by an armed guard.
been called a “fine lookin’ boy” by Senator Strom Thurmond (as were my brother and my sister.)
purchased a home at the age of 25.
had my name appear on the face of 42 United States Patents (as the examiner, not the inventor) and counting.
failed to notice a major (national news making) earthquake because I was on a roller coaster at the time.
been a contestant on the longest-running quiz program in TV history. (My team came in second out of three.)
I like this thread. When you start laying out your life in this fashion, it’s amazing how much (or how little) you’ve done. I feel very fortunate to have had (most of) my experiences.
Should be “Managed to pee despite the presence of an impala who was watching me with great interest. . .”
- Met Bill Clinton (and Hillary) when he was running for governor of Arkansas the first time. I was a nipper, but remember being there.
- Met Bill Clinton again when I was in high school, and he was still Governor of Arkansas.
- Walked on a frozen pond – in Oklahoma. Fell through the ice, and lived to tell about it. (Mostly “DON’T DO IT!”)
- Been interviewed for the local news (was in high school).
- Was prominent (but not the target) in a video on America’s Funniest Home Videos.
- Stopped a theft of a purse.
- Was in a TV commercial for a Mental Hospital.
- Exchanged mutual jealousy with Wil Wheaton.
- Designed and helped build a tool used by astronauts.
Who had the worse experience, you or the puppeteer?
Was that over your face? 
Walked down the street on a 80 degree April day with a purple cast on my left arm and holding a four foot high stuffed Tweety Bird in my right arm.
Actually, I had already started to pee behind the truck, while our guide kept watch for any big cats. I heard a noise behind me and jerked my head around fearing the worst. The impala walked out from behind the vehicle and stood staring in me with what I can only describe as disbelief, and possibly outrage.
I’ve been kicked off the set of Jeopardy!
Met Steve Perry (short little guy, but nice).
Got to meet the parents returning from the Olympics games. Now THAT one was great! An entire 747 filled to the brim with over the moon, SUPER excited parents, many of whom were still wearing their kids’ medals.
Fueled the Concorde.
Come to think of it, each and every one of these things happened when I was a fueler working at Anchorage international. That was a LONG time ago, 25-30 years, boy nothing quite that interesting has happened since… 
The only thing to compare is that on my previous job, I’ve run into quite a few bears (but haven’t had to stare any down).
I have eaten alligator (and liked it!) and ridden an elephant.
I have single-handedly stopped a bank robbery.
Nothing heroic, just that the front door at the place I used to work could only be unlocked from the inside. When the nice men wearing ski masks and waving guns ran up to the door, I politely declined to unlock it. They left.
Glad you still have all your appendixes… you do, right?
…been frisked by the Secret Service (before I turned 18!)
Shared thermals with various raptors - red tail hawks, ospreys and an eagle. Its probably been done by most glider pilots but is still way cool.
Won Bag Day’s (Google it) Best Bag at Atlantic City’s Irish Pub six consecutive years.
I have also done this. It remains to be seen whether I’ll actually get to keep it or not!
I could point out that my dad has handled a live bald eagle and helped feed it. I was there, but outside the cage. (This was with a licensed raptor rehabilitator, and he was taking care of the eagle after it had been shot by poachers.)
Been on a real ‘cartoon’ desert island ( a bit of sand with lone palm tree) about 100 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico.
Crossed paths with Joan Baez in her hotel as she was headed for a concert and I was coming in for a lounge gig. Wished each other “Good luck on your gig, man”.
Had the members of Kiss drinking beers and watching several of our sets in a Seattle bar.
Been mistaken for Jimmy Buffett’s bass player - went along with it and said I was just sittin’ in with friends for the gig.
Was put on standby call to do sonar search for Challenger Space Shuttle debris… so glad I didn’t have to go looking.
Besides that, I got nothin’…
Ran a race over Belmont Park’s dirt track (a footrace for humans, not horses)
Cross country skied inside Shea Stadium (on the field)
Rescued a friend from an incompetent hospital and drove him 20 miles to a better one, probably saving his life
Hung out with Dennis Weaver at a rally outside the United Nations (nice guy)
Walked out of a bank only to be forced to the ground by the local SWAT team because I fit the description of a local bank robber
Worked a booth at a senior citizen’s event for a government agency only to be berated for about five hours by seniors who disagreed with the agency’s mission
Waited for a city bus to take me to school during a snowstorm, only to have it never show up; I had to be rescued by my sister, who had to literally throw me in the back seat because I was too cold to get in the car any other way
Stepped on a broken bottle while jogging, gashing my arch and severing an artery in my foot
Been plagiarized by a writer for the Harvard Review
Let a naked sleeping customs agent sleep at the old Kai Tak airport. Made it a rule to never wake a naked man.
Almost died at an abortion clinic. Nearly fell in an open excavation pit.
Lived in Guantanamo Bay
Crossed the Straight of Gibraltar
Visited the Casino in Subic Bay
Accidentally called Gwendolyn Brooks on the phone.
My life’s pretty boring, actually. 
I think I’ve mentioned know Oscar winner…I’ll add that I attended the first public showing of his film. Long before anyone realized just how big it was.
-D/a