This next guy is one of the most intriguing characters I have ever met. I still don’t truly know how many of Danger Dan’s stories were actually true, but they were fun to hear either way. He is a rafting guide at the Ocoee River and it seems like he is a legend because everyone knows him. Immediately, when we got on the bus, Danger Dan was drawn to our group and started telling us his famous stories and jokes that everyone knows him for. I could tell from the beginning that it would be an eventful trip down the river.
Throughout the whole time, I’m pretty sure Danger Dan was talking even though I was in the front of the raft and missed most of it. I listened long enough to find out that he was a universalist and was just living life, hopping from place to place depending on the season and his mood. Now, he’s living alone (well, with his cat), in his late 40s, at a little house right off the river and just waiting for the season to change. It looks like he has another 3 weeks or so before the business stops their trips due to weather change, but he’s holding on to every second he can. It’s obvious the river is one of his loves, and putting on a show for people can’t be too far behind it.
Since I was in the front, I wasn’t able to spend much time talking with Danger, but it was fun to tell him a little about ourselves after he took a break from joke telling. One thing I could tell was that he enjoyed people and their company, and really did enjoy getting to know people. However, I felt like thanking him for a fun trip just wasn’t enough. I wanted to hear more of his story and why he lives the way he does, as a floater, but my opportunity never came. I tried to have a little more detailed conversation with him, and that’s when we got invited over to his house because he wanted to give us firewood. I almost felt bad leaving and wanted to invite him camping. I feel like he knows everyone, but no one at the same time.
This is one of those rare meetings because I actually didn’t have anything to say. I just listened and his stories kept coming. One after the other. I was a little worn out after all the jokes and huge stories and after hearing him talk for two hours, I don’t feel like I knew him any better. I would love another shot at him, because I just want to know who he really is after all the stories and jokes. But hey, I see a lot of that in myself and wonder if that’s all people hear from me. At the end of the day, I enjoyed my time with Danger Dan…
