You only die once

Chapter 8 A few small encounters

Chapter 8

A few small encounters

I have related all my major encounters with near-death. Oddly, I have a few little ones left to relate.

Once, I fell into a six-foot deep and wide storm drain coming out of the car while reeling my kite. It had not rained for weeks, so there was no water to drown me again.

When we went to dig for cockles, my father wanted to take a shortcut by walking through the mud. Everyone else took the big C-shaped sand bank that curved back after extending out to sea. The best area to get cockles was at the end of the C. So we took the shortcut, walking across the mud and we sank. It was past waist height by the time we realise we were in trouble. Luckily, my father had the sense to alert us. We leaned back and tried to lie on our backs, then we started to float up and managed to retrace our steps back out of the mud.

I went hiking with a group of cadets. While standing at the edge of a cliff looking down at the bottom, I slipped and fell off it. I think it was at least a 10-metre drop. As luck would have it, somehow my left hand held on to the edge. The others pulled me up.

Once when I was climbing over a locked gate, I slipped and rolled over on the top of the gate. I was still holding on to the top piece of wood on the gate. I was upside down. I realised my head was inches away from exposed nails. 😱

And that's it, no more encounters that I can remember. I seem to be a real magnet for disaster.

I am still in one piece. All intact. Passed middle age. My only disabilities are my eyesight that needed correction and joint discomfort, probably from early osteoarthritis. I am 0.0001% bionic now with a stent in my artery. 😅 And unfortunately needing to take medication daily. (Something I detest. 😔)

Life is a mystery. We ask questions. Why are we who we are? Why do we exist? Why do things happen?

All I know is that life shapes us. It has shaped me. My near-death encounters either shaped me or I had at times shaped them. But even today, instead of being overconfident, I am mostly double guessing myself, wondering if there is an unturned stone that needs to be turned and looked at.

I would like to finish off with a few experiences that we have to do what we believe.