Have you ever….

1. Ridden in a cable car?
   I rode the cable car from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island in NYC to have dinner with work friends, back when I travelled down the east coast of America some 40 years ago. Despite being so close to 24-hour-on-the-go Manhattan, Roosevelt Island was such an oasis of calm that the experience has stayed with me.
   
2. Lost your wallet/purse?
   I lost my money and cards when my handbag was pickpocketed in a London railway station. It happened at a particularly stressful time after I had broken up with my ex but was still sharing our home while waiting for it to sell, and followed a row with my mother over her overt support for my ex (of the “it’s such a shame, it’s not like he drinks or beats you” sort). All of which explains why I wasn’t paying attention properly which, as a long time resident of London, I usually did.
   
3. Punched someone?
   An embarrassing admission for me to make. I punched (on 2 separate occasions), our next door neighbour’s (also my father boss’s) eldest son, for being mean to my sister. The red mist descended, and I had no memory of the actual punch either time, but he had a great big shiner and everyone present said it was me. I’m not sure who was more embarrassed the following day at school, him or me. To be honest, it scared me, and I did my best to learn how to repress my temper after that.
   
4. Been hypnotized?
   Just the once. Not up on stage for entertainment, but by a therapist. Although I remained conscious throughout, I felt like a little girl and spoke in the vocabulary of one too (I was in my fifties at the time). It was a most illuminating experience.
   
5. Fainted in public?
   When I fainted – without warning or apparent cause – in my mid 30s while in the reception area of a hotel, I was extremely grateful that a colleague caught me before I hit my head on the flagstone floor. I was sent for a battery of tests but never discovered the reason, nor the presence of any underlying condition.
   
6. Ever slept under the stars?
   Returning from a night out while staying with my grandparents at their home in southern Spain, my friend and I realised that neither of us had picked up the house keys. So, rather than disturb my grandparents in the early hours of the morning, we borrowed a couple of lilos and some bedding from guys we knew, and slept in the garden. We were both young and attractive, so I have to say what lovely guys they were, as they never attempted to take advantage – indeed they laughed at themselves for it 🙂
   
7. Been so drunk I didn’t remember what I’d done the night before?
   I was at a rugby club event, so while there certainly had been drink taken, I don’t believe I was particularly drunk (and had no hangover the next day). Indeed, I clearly remember thinking I wasn’t actually enjoying myself, so called a taxi and went home to bed. But the following day, I saw a photo of myself on social media, behind the bar pulling pints – and to the best of my knowledge, I didn’t (and still don’t) know how to pull a pint. I’d always prided myself on remembering everything, no matter how awful, so not recalling this came as a shock. That evening was a trigger to change my lifestyle – indeed, the Universe sent me a recovering alcoholic as a prospective partner shortly thereafter.
   
8. Skipped school?
   I regularly skipped lessons while at boarding school to attend the tennis championships at Wimbledon. Our school was on the high street of a small village, and I’d walk out, catch a bus, then a train. In those days, the queues at Wimbledon weren’t enormous as they are now, and I got to see a lot of tennis. Somehow, I didn’t get caught, but then I only did it once or twice during the two weeks of the tournament, and one of those days would be at the weekend.

I’ve not played the “never have I ever…” game before, and while some of these were a tad embarrassing, it was an interesting run through some old memories.

Is this a game you’ve played before? Have you ever done any of these things/had any of these experiences?

© Debs Carey, 2024