1/6/12

Scared for life and scarred for life...

On Wednesday's Hodge Podge, one of the questions was do you watch scary movies. I don't. I am not even tempted to pause on one when I'm channel surfing.

But one of my readers posted something that brought back a memory for me. She doesn't like scary movies either and feels it is because of watching Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds when she was younger.


I totally agree with her. I had forgotten about something that happened to me about 15 years ago.


My hubby and I were on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico, taking a day cruise on the Captain Anderson off the coast of Panama City. As we left dock and headed for Shell Island, the seagulls were flitting and flying around the boat as we were leaving. I was admiring their aerodynamics when one of the mates on the boat mentioned that if you bought Cheetos at the snack bar and held them out between two fingers, a gull would come down and gently remove it from your hand.

I thought that sounded really cool so hubby bought me a little bag of Cheetos. I proudly carried the little bag to the railing, all the while anticipating like a little child the excitement of actually feeding the seagulls right from my own hand.


I pressed up to the rail. I tore open the package. I gently placed one lone Cheeto in between my forefinger and thumb. I gently leaned a little over the rail, the ocean breeze blowing in my face. I extended my arm out hoping to attract a gull.


Boy, did I! All of a sudden over a dozen gulls flew right toward me as if in attack mode and honed in toward that one lone Cheeto. I freaked out. I had a flashback to Alfred's movie The Birds. I could just sense they were waiting to peck my eyes out. I panicked. I screamed, threw the Cheeto in the ocean and tossed the entire bag, package and all right into their midst as I backed away and clung to hubby.


Everybody got a good laugh at my expense. But I didn't care. I braved the Birds and walked away with all fingers and both eyes still in tact. I still chuckle today when I think about it.