Happy first day of May, Readers. I love springtime and warmer weather. For some reason, I recently remembered a little song about the month of May that I learned years ago while taking piano lessons. Hadn’t thought of it in years, and I have no idea who wrote it.
Anyhow, it seems appropriate to reminisce because this month’s Mystery Monday posts are personal stories that happened to either me or members of my family. This first one isn’t exactly a mystery, but a mystery solve. A few weeks ago, while chatting with Mae Clair, I said, “Remind me to tell you about the time I thought I saw a UFO.” She was interested to hear and suggested I make it and some others part of Mystery Monday. So, here goes.
In the 1970s, the small town in which I live was truly a small town with a population of less than 2,000 people. Everything was in our “downtown” area—one bank, three home-owned grocery stores, a hardware store, and two or three gas stations. No convenience stores back then, and everything closed by 6:00 p.m. We had a four-way stop at the main intersection—no traffic lights for us—and right-angle parking along the main street, which happens to be a major U. S. Highway.
During my senior year of high school, I was in a work co-op program. I attended school in the morning and went to a part-time office job in the afternoon. One November day, I left my job around 5:30 and drove to the post office to mail some letters. I parked along Main Street, got out of the car, then walked to the mailbox drop. There weren’t drive-by mail drops in those days, no drive-through pharmacies, or curbside delivery of groceries. Folks went inside buildings to take care of business unless they used the drive-in window of the local Dairy Queen. (I’m digressing a bit here to reminisce. Life was simpler and more laid-back then. Folks didn’t rush like they do today.)
But, back to the story at hand. When I got out of the car, I looked toward the north and saw a bright light in the sky that appeared to hover near the horizon. The sun had already set, and twilight had begun to settle in, but it was still too early for any stars to appear. After dropping off the mail, I got back into the car, then started home.
We lived northeast of town, and the bright light remained visible as I drove. It was low in the sky and still appeared to hover in one place. As I got closer to home, I could make out a shape. It was an aircraft of some sort, but I’d never seen anything like it.
United States Air Force C-130 Transport Plane (Image courtesy of Pixabay)
I have ancestors from Missouri, the “Show Me” state. Some of those characteristics passed on to me. If there is something out of the ordinary, for me, seeing is believing. I had made the statement many times that I wouldn’t believe in UFOs unless I saw one. That November evening, I almost became a believer. What else could be hovering so low in the sky unless it was something from beyond Earth? The Starship Enterprise quickly came to mind.
I’m not sure how I managed to stay on the road because my eyes were fixed on this unidentified flying object. Finally, near a neighbor’s open field, I was able to determine what mesmerized me. It was an airplane. I’m not sure what type, maybe a C-130 military transport, traveling at a slow speed with its flood light turned on. The direction in which it traveled, coupled with the direction I drove made it appear to remain in one place. Mystery solved.
I haven’t seen any more UFOs but who knows when one might appear? Seeing is believing.
I hope you enjoyed this personal tale of a solved mystery. Next week, I’ll write about a mysterious sound and an apparently haunted house.
31 Responses
A great story. I was hoping it really was a UFO!
I’m glad it wasn’t. 🙂
Maybe the aliens were taking it for a joyride.
Doubtful. My Missouri roots are strong.
Love that you figured it out, Joan. I have two UFO stories, one of which remains unexplained to this day.
Now, I’d like to hear those stories some day. 🙂
I’m pretty sure I already told them to you, but I can tell them again next time we chat.
I remember at least one of them.
Nice story, Joan! I also have a UFO story that remains unsolved. I was driving from SC to WV in the wee AM hours and saw something. Judging by the brake lights from cars on the highway in front of me, I wasn’t the only one. Looking forward to the haunted house story.
I know several people who have seen unexplained things in the sky. At seventeen, I was glad my encounter had a logical explanation!
When my husband was a kid, he and his twin brother, their sister and a cousin all saw a strange object in the sky over the ocean while they were on the beach at night. They all ran off to hide except the cousin who stayed on the shore. The object hovered over her and she stood transfixed, her arms up in the air. The boys ran to “save” her and brought her back to their safe place. Years later, she developed many physical ailments including some of her internal organs being out of place and/or missing. She eventually passed away but was forever haunted by that night on the beach. My husband and his siblings have never forgotten and they talk about it whenever they’re together. I wrote a story about it called Amagansett Beach.
That is way bizarre, Nancy. I can’t even imagine… Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, Joan! 🛸
Our eyes can trick us! Fun story.
Thanks, Judi. Mine sure tricked me that evening!
Seeing is believing, Joan. I have seen a UFO. It was in the small town where I lived with my husband, and we were returning home from picking the girls up from a Friday night football game.
Rick pulled over, and we watched this huge flying object hovering just above the school. Lights came and went from it, and there was absolutely no sound. After a few minutes, it vanished without a trace. Local authorities claimed it was a weather balloon. I believe otherwise. Thanks for sharing your story!
That’s bizarre, Jan. I haven’t seen anything like that, but I once heard an unexplained sound one night. They don’t exactly sound like an airplane or a helicopter, but it was definitely in the air and not on the ground. I was alone in the house with only my cat. It drew his attention as well.
It’s nice when you can figure out what you are seeing. I had one experience driving one of my kids friends home. It was a dark road lined with trees and no lighting. Above us was a bright flash and fast moving ball of light moving in mixed directions. It wasn’t a meteor, plane, miltary plane or anything we recognized. Never heard anything on it, so no idea what that fast moving object was that night.
That is very strange, Denise. I’ve seen ball lightning one time, but nothing like that.
Love the fact the mystery was solved. I have seen plenty of those kinds of situations where the light seems to stand still. Thanks for sharing, Joan.
It was a strange feeling, John. Years later, I saw a bright “star” in the sky that seemed to move. Turns out it was also a plane.
Most of them do from my experience.
I do appreciate rational explanations for strange phenomena.
Me too, Liz. Seeing is believing! 🙂
Cool story, Joan. Glad you weren’t in danger of being abducted by little green men … or any other kind of alien. I’ve never seen anything I couldn’t explain. (So far.) But then, I’m usually looking into the trees and undergrowth for birds or into the water for gators, snakes, fish, and manatees, etc. I should look UP more often, and not always just at flocks of swallow-tailed kites or soaring eagles flying overhead. It would be an interesting experience, even if it turned out to have a perfectly mundane explanation.
I LIKE Mystery Mondays, btw! Fun!! 😀 <3
Thanks, Marcia. I believe you and I think a lot alike. I’m too busy looking for birds and wildlife. There are too many beautiful things in this world to ponder if there is life on other planets. I do love looking at the night skies – the moon, the stars, and constellations, but I don’t look for flying saucers. Everything I’ve seen so far can be explained. I do know some who have seen things that can’t.
I know one thing. If I DID see something up there that I couldn’t figure out, it would drive me crazy if I couldn’t solve the mystery. I like answers! Every time I spot a critter I don’t recognize, I go plowing through my field guides until I can ID it, so I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to spot something I couldn’t look up a name for. Eeep.
And yep, I suspect you and I think alike on lots of stuff, especially birds and wildlife. My parents once took a birding vacation in Texas, and to this day, I’m jealous of all the good stuff they saw while there. 😄
I’ve had similar experiences, Joan, where because of the direction something appears stationary that’s really moving. It’s a thrill though to think it’s a UFO for a while. A great story. And the town you grew up in sounds like the one I live in. I love small towns. Thanks for the fun mystery.
I wouldn’t trade living in a small town. Can’t imagine living in a city. Thanks for stopping by, Diana.
What a great story, Joan! Sorry I’m late in checking in to discover it.
Your hometown must have been a wonderful place to grow up. I’m glad you were able to solve the mystery of the “UFO.” Even if it wasn’t a UAP, I bet that low hovering plane was still cool to see. And to speculate about.
I have seen a UFO (or UAP) which I’ve shared about a few times. To this day, I remained convinced about that experience. I even used part of it in my book, A Cold Tomorrow.
Now you have me excited to learn about the mysterious sound and haunted house. Tales from our own experiences are always the best!
I remember your story, Mae. That is really a mystery. Some things just can’t be explained!
And I love A Cold Tomorrow.