When my second son was born.
The first was c-section, so it was all very controlled and methodical. The second was a natural birth (VBAC, at that), and was chaotic as all hell. When my wife was pushing him out, it was the absolute craziest feeling. I was terrified and euphoric at the same time.
Getting my first teaching job when I didn’t think I wanted to be a teacher. I was unemployed, it was a job. That was 2001. Attended yet another graduation on Friday.
The day I picked up my brand new Kawasaki KZ900 motorcycle. The first really costly thing I ever bought. Payments were 160/ month. At the time it was the fastest motorcycle commonly available. The night I picked it up my buddy’s girlfriend, my future ex-wife, climbed off his bike and got on the back of mine! It’s a miracle I (we) survived that thing!
Hang on. Where are all the Nobel prize winners, famous authors, billionaires and sports stars that I thought were posting here?
What, me? No. Well, a thread I started got threadspotted once. Thinking about that still gives me a warm glow. Also, on a couple of occasions I’ve had money and/or sex.
The day that I taped for a nationally televised game show. I’ve never been so scared in my life, and it was the most fun I’d had up to that point. Changed my life, it did.
Well… the award I mention in my post above would probably show up on many people’s list of 10-15 such things. Does that count?
PS - and that, quite accidentally, was my post 9,000… so does THAT count? 
It was a Little Orphan Annie Decoder Pin, wasn’t it? ADMIT IT! 
“Son of a bitch!”
Hah! I’m good, but I’m not that good.
I’ve also been a professional archaeologist and an author (aka smut peddler), but I’m a Medicare product manager now. I’ve managed to be involved in all the professions I wanted to as a kid. That makes me feel good, but I need new goals.
In chronological order:
Anyone else notice that more than twice as many people had personal lows than personal highs?
I would say my personal highs were back in elementary school–learning to read, write, add and subtract…–with reading in particular being truly world-changing.
First you dug 'em up… now you ready them for planting? Or, perhaps more kindly, …now you dust them off?
You know, I had some high points in my very early childhood. Learning to walk was pretty great for my personal freedom. Talking was another big one. Mastering that trick vastly improved my relationship with my family and friends. No more vainly trying to articulate my endless flow of unreasonable demands by simply blabbering “ga-ga-ga” at them. Ah, the power of words! It gave me tremendous leverage. Not to mention achieving control of my own bowel movements. I can’t tell you how much that did for my self esteem.
Too bad that I can’t remember any of it, of course.
Technically, everybody has one of each. 
Everything in-between is just “Shit That Happened”.
I’ve had two and they both happened in the same year.
Everyone wants to believe that they have already experienced their personal low. Few people have experienced anything so wonderful that they want to believe it’s their personal high.
A few
Graduated with honors from High school and then College(also honors) A had a middle school teacher who said in front of my classmates I would do poorly in high-school since I have dyslexia. 
I became a published writer at 16!
At an airport a man asked to take a photograph of me. I was very flattered.
getting a job at a museum
Congratulations!
My first date with my husband was similar. I was madly in love with him about ten minutes later. I still remember our meeting at the Hayden Planetarium light show, he all tall and gawky and funny and kind and deliciously witty and modest and oh so handsome! We celebrate our 20th anniversary next month.
Also when the publisher said yes to the book I co-authored with another SD member. And when Dr. Offit send us an email that said, “Loved the book. Wonderful job.” I think I’ve read that email at least a thousand times.
The five hour nearly pain free labor with my daughter was also pretty marvelous. And realizing that I, unlike my mom, am not allergic to cats is really freaking great.
Emotionally, the highs were falling in love twice. Having a system full of euphoria inducing chemicals for a couple of weeks is pretty neat. There’s a reason all those songs get written about it.
Other than that, getting my first middle class job was a happy time – it’s a wonderful feeling to know you probably won’t be making close to minimum all your life.
Creatively, producing the half dozen or so stories, articles, illustrations that represent the best I can do, and then getting praise from people whose opinions I respect. Normally I’m my toughest critic, and getting compliments on stuff I’m not happy with is no great pleasure.
Definitely having the kids. The post-birth hormonal high was amazing, and something about the babies being awesome and perfect and ever so wonderful, yadda yadda yadda, but seriously: the hormones!
