WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:08.199 So I had a strange encounter in the mid eighties that still makes me wonder 2 00:00:08.279 --> 00:00:12.679 to this day. I was in my early twenties and I managed to move 3 00:00:12.679 --> 00:00:17.039 out of mom and Dad's basement into a place of my own. Honestly, 4 00:00:17.079 --> 00:00:20.640 I hadn't gone that far. I lived three quarters of a mile due north 5 00:00:20.679 --> 00:00:25.000 of my folks place as the crow flies. However, if you were sensible 6 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:29.719 and decided to drive there, it's quite a bit further. My parents' house 7 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:33.320 was set back from the road, and once you left their driveway you were 8 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:38.000 going north, and then the road curved to the west. The little farm 9 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:42.399 I was renting was right there on the north side of the road. There 10 00:00:42.439 --> 00:00:45.600 was a little bit of a neighborhood, but the best part or the houses 11 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:50.119 weren't grouped tight up close together. We were all spread out and we had 12 00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:54.880 elbow room. The privacy was great and improved when the crops grew tall. 13 00:00:56.200 --> 00:01:00.759 That part of Illinois wasn't just flat, tillable farm ground. There were acres 14 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:04.680 of rolling timber that began about five hundred yards behind my parents' house, and 15 00:01:04.760 --> 00:01:10.799 it spread out to the west and south. A small narrow stand of trees 16 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:17.120 grew between our houses separating the two farm fields. I was at the age 17 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:19.519 when a country boy was in his prime and was sure to have himself a 18 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:25.359 big, old four wheel drive truck. My truck was a one ton that 19 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:29.599 heavy suspension was great for getting me places I probably shouldn't have been going. 20 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:34.480 It wasn't overly tall like some of my friend's trucks. But that old pickup 21 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:38.680 truck wasn't just a toy. I used it for work too. Tall trucks 22 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:42.400 are well and good, but when you're throwing hay on it, it gets 23 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:48.680 tiring having to throw those heavy bales that much higher. I had a pretty 24 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:52.439 nice light bar, and I had it built especially for this truck, and 25 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:55.840 when we were going places in the mud that we shouldn't A lot of the 26 00:01:55.879 --> 00:02:00.120 time it happened under the cover of darkness. I like to see what I 27 00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:02.719 was getting into, so I had a stadium lighting across the top of my 28 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:08.560 cab. I also had a switch that could kill the lights instantly. Anybody 29 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:13.639 that goes to those backwood parties knows that too much light can kill the mood 30 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:19.759 where we were located. I could also signal uninvited intruders, such as the 31 00:02:19.800 --> 00:02:25.080 law enforcement. The cops could be such killjoys. I was far enough removed 32 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:30.919 from home that getting invited for supper was a pleasure. A guy gets tired 33 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:36.159 of Spaghettio's and Beloney and other bachelor's staples, so when mom says she wants 34 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:39.199 to cook for you, you definitely make sure that you're there. My dad 35 00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:43.479 worked second shift, so that night it was just the two of us. 36 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:49.280 We had a great time hanging out and catching up. I'd been busy working 37 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:53.319 and hadn't seen mom and at least a day. That's right, I'm a 38 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:57.719 mama's boy, but my mom was pretty cool. I could tell some great 39 00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:02.800 mischievous stories that she was in, but I'm rambling. She was ready to 40 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:06.560 retire for the evening, but told me that she would be up for a 41 00:03:06.599 --> 00:03:10.479 little while reading. That was her routine. I wasn't getting the shove off, 42 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:14.319 but I did have my own place to go to, so that's where 43 00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:19.280 I went. The evening was pleasant. At thirty miles per hour, the 44 00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:23.479 air coming in the windows kept the truck bearable, and I wasn't in any 45 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:27.639 particular hurry, so I took my time driving the mile and a half home. 46 00:03:28.919 --> 00:03:31.960 I never took the time to become an avid stargazer. Back then, 47 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:38.319 my mind was on typical country boy things farm tractors and trucks and making money, 48 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:43.360 and of course girls, really mostly girls. I may lay on a 49 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:46.240 blanket with a girl under the night sky at times, but I must confess 50 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:52.520 I wasn't paying all that much attention to the sky above. That night, 51 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:57.319 as I drove north and curved westward, I looked up and one star got 52 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:01.479 my attention. It was acting very pecul ueler for a star. It was 53 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:06.520 bigger and brighter than the rest of the stars, and sometimes it changed colors. 54 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:11.520 It would be blue or white, and then changed to gold and yellow, 55 00:04:11.719 --> 00:04:16.240 and then turned paler yellowish shades. The changes didn't occur in any set 56 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:23.240 pattern either. I began to intently watch the sky, taking special notice of 57 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:29.360 the abnormal star, and after closer inspection, I finally realized that it wasn't 58 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:33.399 a star. It didn't remain in a fixed point in the sky. It 59 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:38.720 was moving. It was also getting bigger, which meant it was either growing 60 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:44.319 or getting closer to me. I stopped just at the entrance to my driveway, 61 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:47.959 expecting the moving star was only an optical illusion, and if it was 62 00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:53.160 a star. It would have stopped too, but it didn't. It kept 63 00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:59.000 coming closer. I backed out into the road so I could see up without 64 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:03.560 the overhanging bra branches I was under interfering with my view. My yard was 65 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:09.879 well shaded under mature stand of assorted trees. The foreign object above me was 66 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:14.680 obviously not a star. It moved into a ten o'clock high position, and 67 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:18.199 then it began to hover well. I had an eerie feeling that I was 68 00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:24.439 being watched, and as intently as I was watching, I felt an electric 69 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:30.000 tingle and it was getting creepy. Sitting in the road with my headlights on, 70 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:35.360 the most unexpected thing happened, a strange kind of stand off. The 71 00:05:35.399 --> 00:05:41.720 great big light blinked on and off twice. I don't know what possessed me 72 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:45.639 to do the next stupid thing on my part, I flipped on my off 73 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:51.040 road overhead lights. Realizing that wasn't a real smart idea, I pushed the 74 00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:57.079 switch right back off again. I wasn't et and I didn't need to call 75 00:05:57.120 --> 00:06:02.319 home. The big light again moved closer, and this was when I decided 76 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:06.680 I wasn't sticking around to get abducted. I threw the truck into gear and 77 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:12.519 I peeled out. Maybe drawing it toward my parents' house wasn't the wisest maneuver, 78 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:16.839 but I wanted someone else to see this weird thing. Cellular phones were 79 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:20.839 not around then, and I couldn't call Mom, but by this time I 80 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:26.639 really wanted to phone home. I went back the way. I came a 81 00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:30.399 whole lot faster than I had come, and I liked to use my off 82 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:34.199 road lights to see even when it wasn't legal on the road. The light 83 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:39.759 barb came back on again, and maybe that wasn't the best plan. It 84 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:43.680 wasn't like I was going to attract the UFO. I seemed to have already 85 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:47.199 managed to get its attention. I couldn't see it directly, and I wasn't 86 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:51.319 completely sure where it was, but I sensed that it was following me. 87 00:06:53.240 --> 00:06:57.279 The road was brighter on my return to Mom and Dad's house, and the 88 00:06:57.319 --> 00:07:00.480 back of my truck was lit up, almost like daylight, and I looked 89 00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:05.199 into the mirrors. After a quick check, I noted my rear facing lights 90 00:07:05.240 --> 00:07:12.160 were not on. I was being spotlighted like a raccoon in a tree. 91 00:07:12.279 --> 00:07:15.879 Mom must have seen my off road lights from her window, and I'm sure 92 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:20.000 the dog sounded the alarm. I was coming back in a hurry. Mom 93 00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:24.279 was coming out the back door as I flew down the lane to the house, 94 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:28.399 and she rushed over to my truck as I skidded to a stop and 95 00:07:28.439 --> 00:07:34.120 I motioned upward excitedly before her, what's wrong escaped her lips. I watched 96 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:38.920 her eyes grow wide with wonder, and I looked up and we watched the 97 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:45.439 alien craft pass slowly and directly overhead. It continued west until it was out 98 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:48.839 over the timber. And whatever this thing was, it was big, as 99 00:07:48.920 --> 00:07:55.319 in huge. It was hard to discern any shape. The light was too 100 00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:59.079 bright. It was pretty close to the ground, though, and it moved 101 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:03.160 like a helicopter, a great big one, if that's what we were actually 102 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:07.800 looking at. The technology was advanced. If it had rotor blades. There 103 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:13.839 was no telltale thump sounds like a rotary wing craft. Mate. There wasn't 104 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:18.759 any sound at all. Mom and I watched the craft move around over the 105 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:22.360 trees to the west for what seemed like hours, but in reality it may 106 00:08:22.360 --> 00:08:28.959 have only been for a few short minutes. The UFO moved back and forth, 107 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:33.120 then it would hover and all the while it was close to the treetops. 108 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:39.320 The lights continued to change color, but in no certain pattern. Finally, 109 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:43.759 the craft gained altitude and at hell for a moment, and the lights 110 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:48.799 blinked on and off again. Maybe it was saying farewell to us. And 111 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:54.879 then it moved upward again and slowly at first, it increased momentum and suddenly 112 00:08:54.879 --> 00:08:58.639 shot straight upward out of sight, launching itself into the heavens, far quicker 113 00:08:58.679 --> 00:09:03.440 than our rocket. Good. That was the last time we saw it. 114 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:09.240 Mom and I looked at each other in amazement. The only thing I could 115 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:13.200 say for a few minutes was wow. We talked about it for a little 116 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:18.840 while, wondering if anyone else had witnessed the strange occurrence. Now I finally 117 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:22.399 went back to my place, and it took a little while for the excitement 118 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:26.360 to pass, and I don't remember going to bed. I awoke the next 119 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:35.600 morning with no sense of time lost, and my rectum wasn't sore. Okay, 120 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:41.120 you were You made it through that one. At least you weren't okay 121 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:48.879 enough of that. It was an unidentified flying object? Or was it otherworldly? 122 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:54.240 Maybe? Maybe not? When I think back on it, other than 123 00:09:54.240 --> 00:10:00.320 the creepy feeling when it stalked me. It still intrigues me. Whoever or 124 00:10:00.360 --> 00:10:05.559 whatever it was, they probably had fun shaking me up. Larry the Cable 125 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:11.399 Guy has pointed out to many the UFOs like redneck Fellers, I firmly believe 126 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:16.559 we as a society are pretty arrogant. If we think there is no other 127 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:22.200 intelligent life, how do we know that we're all that advanced? How do 128 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:26.840 we know that our planet isn't avoided the same as we avoid a rough city neighborhood.