Thread: Braggin' Time

Here's the idea: Share with your shaving buddies one of your most unabashedly proudest moments. Let's agree to skip over the "day I got married; day my child was born, etc." responses, and just go for the purely egoistic, "me"-type accomplishments.
Ok, I'll go first: Once, when I was in college, my philosophy teacher was returning our graded exams. He told the class my essay was the best he'd ever read, and excused me from attending the rest of the class that day. The other students broke out in applause as I exited the classroom. As close to an "Elvis" momnent as I'd ever come! Of course, it's been all downhill since then...
Anyone else care to share?

A body of individuals for whom I have great respect deemed me worthy of being called a mentor, and they haven't yet changed their minds. I am still very pround of that.

I was privileged enough to attend the oldest school in the world (Kings School Canterbury) and was a music scholar there. Back in 1987, the Queen was on a low-key private visit to the Archbishop of Canterbury. I was chosen as part of a four-piece brass ensemble (two trumpets, two trombones) to play privately for the Queen. It took place in the nave of Canterbury Cathedral, and the piece was specifically written for the occasion by one of the top living English composers of the day (I honestly cannot recall who).

So there I was, standing in this huge Cathedral, with only 6 others, two of whom were the Queen and the Archbishop. I was on trumpet, and we were standing in pairs with a gap in the middle. The Queen and Archbishop walked the length of the Cathedral and passed right between us in the little gap we formed, whilst we played the fanfare. She nodded and smiled as she went by.

At the time, as a 17-y-o schoolboy, it meant little to me. When I got home and told my Dad he went nuts at me for not having told him sooner. I couldn't see the big deal. I look back now, aged 39, and realise what a privilege it was, to be part of that.

The trumpet has been in the attic for 20 years. But on the rare occasions I've come across it while rooting around for other stuff, I open up the case and look at it and remember that one occasion with great pride.

As a senior in high school, I was an avid SCUBA diver. I was sitting with my two dive buddies one morning when there was a story on the radio about a car that had gone over a bridge the night before and the Fire Dept. divers were searching the waters. Without regard for what the faculty may think, we got up, walked out and went home and got our gear. We drove from NH to Maine and offered our services as volunteer divers. The FD divers who were freezing (it was February) welcomed us and we joined the search party. (Imagine that happening in today's law suit happy society.) We returned the next day as well while the school reluctanty, turned a blind eye. We were in the newspaper and we all felt like heros. Until we found one of the victims. Rather grim. Looking back though, I'm proud of what we did.

Just after high school, an ex-girlfriend's father died. Even though we were recently separated she had no one to talk to so I met her for coffee. As she was talking to me she had said that her father an mother separated while she was young and since her mother raised her she regretted never really getting to know her father.

When she said that a light went on and I said follow me, and led her into the Barnes a Noble next door. I walked right over to the astrology section and asked her what her dads birthday is. Neither of us believed in astrology anymore than a fortune cookie but she played along. I grabbed the book for her fathers birth sign and started to read, knowing that a book dedicated to one astrological sign never really focuses on the negative.

As I read traits that belonged to her father she started responding to those that matched, memories started coming back to her and she was telling stories of visiting her dad and family members and why the descriptions fit. We spend hours sitting on the floor of the book store telling stories and laughing. By the end she not only sounded much better, but she also realized that she new more about her father than she realized.

It may sound a bit silly but one of my proudest moments was being able to put aside differences with a person that truly needed me and being able to find a way to actually help instead of just listening and responding with pleasantries and consolations.

mine might not seem like much to some, but it was one of the greatest days of my life...the day i swore into the U.S. NAVY and swore to uphold the constitution of the U.S. "so help me GOD"...and to go along with that is the day i was discharged with an honorable discharge and was handed a "good conduct" medal to go along with the discharge...both are hanging on the wall in a frame to remind me to try and be the best that i can and support all others in the service.....