I’m supposed to be on an island in the tropics right now, helping with a research project and having the time of my life.
I ended up getting sick right before I was supposed to leave, so I couldn’t go. Beyond that, though, I had a weird hunch that I shouldn’t join this trip. I legitimately couldn’t go, but I had this little feeling of relief in the pit of my stomach when I realized I wasn’t going to get on the plane. I had no reason for feeling that way; I absolutely love travel and field work, and this expedition was going to be the highlight of my year.
So far, all the emails I’ve gotten from people on the expedition have been reports of bad conditions, injury, illness, and somewhat dangerous last-minute changes of plan.
I have no idea why a little voice in my head told me not to go on this trip, but I’m glad it did! And I’m glad I listened.
What odd hunches have you had and followed? How did they work out for you?
I was driving on a four lane road(two each direction) in the outside lane. There was an elderly man walking in the street with his back to me. For some reason I thought he might step in front of me so I checked to see if the inside lane was clear, it was. As soon as I turned my head back he steped in front of me without looking. I swerved and missed him, looked in my mirror in time to see the lady behind me hit him. Died a couple hours later in the hospital. His wife had dropped her wallet out their car window and he was going to get it. Their car was about 50 yards in a driveway from where he was.
Driving down a 4 lane street in the #2 lane and there was a bus at the corner, with a crosswalk in front of it. I figured some kid had just gotten off the bus and would dart out across the crosswalk without looking, and so I slowed and moved to the right. As I approached the front of the bus a kid darted out across the crosswalk without looking, saw me RIGHT THERE, and came to an abrupt stop as I just missed him.
In retrospect, if I hadn’t slowed I probably would have gone past when he entered my lane. :dubious:
As a 70 year old soldier, sailor, pilot, biker, I have hundreds on both sides of the ledger.
Since I am not dead yet, I must be ahead.
Two weeks before he died I knew my Dad would never get out of bed again.
Got a cold scared feeling while flying pipeline, glanced over the high side and saw a brand new antenna that was not there 4 days earlier. Came really close to not missing it.
I’m just curious, as someone who has spent years in the tropics, usually in relative luxury but occasionally in extremely basic conditions - do you mind sharing what island and what kind of research? Sorry to be nosy but I can’t help myself.
I was driving along a dirt road in the mountains with a carload of friends. For no reason that I could identify I was compelled to pull over to the side of the road. A logging truck came around the bend on the wrong side of the road and we all just sat and looked at one another.
When I was about 10 years old I was riding down the road on my bicycle when I saw a brown paper bag on the side of the road. I thought to myself “maybe there’s some money in there”. So I stopped and opened it up and, guess what, $20!
I swear to god this is true, but I can’t prove it–I told my husband that the new Pope would take the name Francis. It was an educated guess–the church needs a radical reformation, and most specifically, a radical reformation that takes it out of a cloistered, bunker-mentality and out among the people, and once you realize that, Francis is the obvious name–but still. What a guess! I can’t believe I didn’t post it in the various threads we had at the time.
Far too many to write them all, but the best one was when I was in Cleveland - alone - for the Duran Duran concert in 2003. It was general admission and the line was out the door. I saw these two girls walk in and I had a feeling that I should follow them and ask to hang out with them. Long story short I ended up third row floor and it was the greatest night of my life.
I was driving on the NYS Thruway (late morning, too), when I saw a deer on the side of the road. I thought, “that thing is going to try to cross” and started slowing down. It did cross, but I had slowed to about 20 (from 65) at that point, so the damage to my car was minor.
The driver behind me stopped to help, and thanked me for not trying to change lanes; I would have hit her.
The only time I can remember is when a coworker wanted me to bet with him on the Lakers vs. Celtics playoff series. He favored the Lakers. I said I agreed, but I guaranteed the Celtics would win the third game. He took the bet and the Celtics went on to win the third game.
I don’t really follow basketball. I just remembered the Lakers won the first two games because they played at LA. The third game would be at Boston, and if the Celtics had incentive to win any game, it would be their first home game.
That Time was (is) relative, not universally the same. I was 13. Nobody, yet, has ever believed me except my brother, who was there when I said as much. I was roundly hissed and boo’d on another, crappy, science forum by that very name. I guess I blinded them with science, or some shit. Or their academic credentials blocked their view. Whatever; it is a true story.
A buddy of mine, a local well-known Pittsburgh area tattoo artist, finished working on my arm, a piece he’d been doing for years a bit at a time. It’s a very up-beat happy piece, so I was surprised when he finished and I looked in a mirror (it’s on the back of the arm). It is a ghost ship replete with skeletons.
He hugged me and said he wouldn’t be seeing as much of me now that the arm was done. I thought he’d lost it, since we’d hang out all the time and I’d only get tattoo work done if he had a no-show.
He also got back in touch with people he’d had falling-outs with. General weird behavior.
Two weeks after my tattoo was finished he died. Cerebral aneurysm. He didn’t know he had it, no signs antemortem.
I was having dinner with my nephew and his new bride just before he deployed to Iraq. As he hugged me goodbye, the moment I touched him I knew I would never see him again. He died a few months later in Kuwait.