by Patrick Corcoran

Created on: January 29, 2009   Last Updated: February 06, 2009

I'm sure most people have heard common phrases such as, "It was so beautiful it took my breath away!" When I was a child and heard that phrase and similar ones uttered by adults, I assumed they couldn't really happen, it was just an adult expression. Surely nothing could take your breath away just by looking at it!

As I became an adult in my late 20's my opinion didn't change about these old adages. It's just a way of "laying it on with a trowel" to make a point very clear. If someone said that an object took their breath away when they looked at it they were just trying to make the listener understand that this thing is really beautiful!

Another phrase that is heard often is, "I was so shocked my knees buckled!" Come on, really? Once again my opinion was that the speaker was exaggerating to prove a point.

I did wonder if sometime in history one of these events did actually occur. But it was only when I had time to daydream about such trivial information. I mean, has this ever really happened to anyone? Is it physically possible to have your breath taken away or your knees buckle by just hearing or seeing something or am I just an unemotional person?

As I entered my early thirties something very strange happened to me and I can only explain it this way. Either I became a more sensitive person or I just had not ever been in a situation where emotions could cause a physical reaction.

It was 1995 and my wife and I had taken our two small sons from our home on the east coast to see the Grand Canyon. We drove through Northern Arizona and ascended the road toward Flagstaff. The scenery was very beautiful but my breath was not stolen from me. In fact I never thought about such a thing and that tired cliche' was the farthest thing from my mind.

The fact that it was March didn't stop the snow from falling at 6000 feet. As we entered the parking lot on the south rim the fog had rolled in so thick you actually couldn't see the fingers on the end of your outstretched arm.

We walked along the path to the rim of the canyon and discovered that due to the fog there was no way of telling where the edge was located. You could walk off the cliff and not know it! With the help of signs we located the rim and stared out into the fog but you couldn't see anything at all. If you looked out you saw fog and if you looked down you saw fog. Many of the tourist including us went into the gift shop to pass the time.

Just about an hour later the majority of people began to make their way quickly

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