Things you survived, but probably shouldn't have

[steve white]

I am thankful to be alive and well, particularly when I think about all the things that could have killed/mangled me. When I was young, we were expected to do things that involved some risk--like climbing a rope up to the top of the gym bldg. without falling as part of physical education, or being thrown into deep water and told to swim. Those were mild preparations for life's risks.
Often we take the lesser of two evils: like, walk back 15 miles to camp after the swamp buggy has broken down Kilombero Tanzania, or talk locals into paddling you in a mokoro through hippo infested waters during the breeding season. Now THAT was a wild ride with many an occasion for everyone on board to jack a cartridge into the chamber and prepare to repel boarders. Fortunately, we made it without disaster. But it makes a nice bed time story....
I can tell you that having a tornado hit your house while you are inside will set a man praying! So will having a near tornado skitter your little pirogue around the edge of a lake. A friend had his pickup picked up by a tornado while driving--it lifted him over the high lines and set him down in a field.

What have you experienced that in hind sight makes you thankful to be alive?

 

[cwpayton]

wow Luv this post. I cant compete, but, the time I was unloading a small john deer dozer off an old bob tail truck on an incline, no emergency brake, had some kind of chalk and left it in gear, when I started to unload the dozer the truck jumped out of gear and the 1 chalk and started rolling toward a steep grade. I bailed off hit the ground and fell. my hard hat was crushed I looked at the woman watching it all and said , wow that was close, she was white as a sheet and finally said " you dont even want to know".
Time I rolled my pickup pulling a full load of hay down a steep long grade, it started fish tailing couldnt get it to stop and as it got so bad ,i looked at my wife and said I cant hold it ,hang on. went across the lane of on coming traffic and hit the only bank there was before and after a 200 ft drop , hay all over the road and totaled f250. wife broke ribs. wow that was close. I was ok .
Hunting Colorado went into the Winnemucce wilderness ,came out after dark after crossing the river and climbing up a grade. got dark and I couldn't see more than a few feet ,no moon. I could see lights a mile or more away along the road on my right, I kept throwing rocks over the cliff but couldn't hear any response, finally heard sone clatter and bounce, after several more rock throws I scrambled down a steep draw of boulders and out on the flat of wind fall dead trees so thick a cat couldnt get through. bloody and tired I stumbled into camp .