Three Things Thursday: Jaw Droppers!

I had this idea for Three Things Thursday in my mind for a long time, but I had a hard time coming up with a third item. I wanted to write about three things that just blew my mind when I saw them--in a good way--but not things that were very obvious or things that are recent enough that they are still on people's minds. Today, I thought of a great third one--just to be sure, I watched the YouTube video of it and naturally, got goosebumps and then the tears ;)

So, here goes... three things that gave me all the feels (the one that hit me today, the one to complete the trio, is actually listed as number two here. I did them in order of favorites (the third being my very favorite). 

1. A surprise flash mob for Oprah.

[First, I have to preface this by saying that one of my secret pipe dreams is to be involved in a flash mob--I don't care whether I'm a participant or I just witness it, I think it would be SO COOL to see.]

When the Black Eyed Peas were performing on stage outside in Chicago in 2011, there was a huge audience (over 10,000 people) there watching. So, when I watched this episode of Oprah back in the day (I loved The Oprah Winfrey Show!), each time more people got involved in the flash mob song, I got more and more goosebumps. My jaw hit the floor toward the end.

It was the most amazing sight to see over 10,000 people involved in a flash mob to surprise Oprah. I cannot even imagine the choreography and planning that went into this event. It was STUNNING and I still think about it every so often. Here is the video:

2. Watching the livestream as Eliud Kipchoge ran a sub-2:00 hour marathon.

Running a marathon in two hours would mean running under 4:34 minutes/mile for 26.2 MILES! (2:50 per km). (I've never been able to run that fast for even 10 seconds). There is a long story surrounding this event, and *technically* it didn't even count for the world record. Kipchoge does hold the world record for the marathon, but the official time is 2:01:09; his 2019 sub-2:00 was not done on a "record-eligible course", which is why it technically didn't count. He ran the "official" record-breaking 2:01:09 marathon just this past September 2022 in Berlin.

Aside from that controversy over his official time, the point is--HE RAN 26.2 MILES IN 1:59:40. Read that again. Essentially, he strategically had ALL the variables on his side that day in October 2019 in order to break 2:00 hours.

Watching the race was awesome--but the final couple of minutes, I had a big lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, waiting for them to pour down my face. The final stretch before he crossed the finish line in 1:59:40 was one of the most exciting moments I've ever witnessed. Here is the video (obviously not the entire marathon--just the final stretch):

3. When Susan Boyle auditioned for Britain's Got Talent.

I saved my most favorite for last. I've watched this countless times, and every time, it makes me ugly-cry. Susan's performance was SO unexpectedly mind-blowing--and you could tell that the entire audience, as well as the judges, were preparing for an uber-cringy disaster. It almost seemed like they were making fun of her when they asked her some questions before her audition, and I felt bad for her.

So when she finally opened her mouth and started to sing, the chills I felt *cannot be described*. I've never seen talent show judge Simon Cowell so speechless and stunned, which says a lot right there.

There really isn't more to say about this except that you have to watch it to truly understand. If it doesn't blow your mind, I'm pretty sure nothing will. With 262 MILLION views on YouTube, you know it has to be something special...

And there we go. I hope you got all the feels I did--goosebumps, tears, the throat lump, full body chills--while watching them! :)