Which Life Incident Strongly Impacted You?

Taffi Abernathy · Which Life Incident Strongly Impacted You?

We are exposed to many different life experiences, some positive, some negative, and some puzzling (perhaps a "mixed bag" or simply beyond our comprehension). What happened in your life which caused you to see things differently or change your feelings about something? No incident is too trite to mention as you are living in your own skin and therefore, know best.

BigBird

Women.

jdc · Re: Which Life Incident Strongly Impacted You?

JimSnyder

I hated mustard so bad when I was little I had a nightmare that a big mustard bottle chased me and to this day i still hate the stuff

true story

BigBird

JimSnyder

daveathall

I was asleep one afternoon on my couch, my wife came in from work and announced that she was going shopping, at the last minute I said that I would go with her.

We were walking around Asda when Carol said that she had a splitting headache and that she needed to sit in the car, I said that I would carry on shopping and only get the essentials and that I would be back with her shortly.About 5 minutes later an announcement came over the tannoy and that I should go to the information desk immediately, I got there and saw Carol, she didnt look well, I said that we were going to the hospital, I knew it was serious when she didnt try to dissuade me.

At the hospital we went straight into emergency, Carol was sitting on an examination couch talking to a nurse when suddenly she put her hands to her head and cried that it was getting worse, she then went into spasms and passed out, I was pushed to one side feeling totally helpless as doctors and nurses with machines rushed in. I ended up in a waiting room, wondering if I should ring my kids, on one hand I knew it was serious but I didnt want them to worry.

A nurse came and I told her my dilemma, she said ring them and tell them to come to the hospital, Carol had had a brain haemorage and she would need to be taken to Hull hospital (about 40 minutes away) we wouldnt be able to go in the ambulance as there wasnt room with all the machines. I was allowed to see her before she left, she was unconcious and attached to various machines, I held her hand and whispered in her ear, I felt my hand being squeezed by hers, she had heard me, it was the last thing I ever said to her.

As we approached Hull I suddenly had a feeling wash over me as though everything was going to be alright, Carol would be OK, as i got out of the taxi that was provided by the hospital for the journey to Hull I said to Steve that everything would be ok he said he knew it would be ok (I later found out that he had the same feeling when we approached Hull as I had).

When we went inside the hospital, after about an hour a doctor told us that Carol had had another massive brain haemorage as the ambulance had approached Hull and that there was no chance, she would not recover, she would be on life support until all the routine tests had been carried out and that it would be switched off the next day. I still remember the anguished cries from my family as we hugged after this announcement from the doctor.

Did she touch me and my son as she left, I would like to think she did, just a feeling of "Its ok, dont worry Dave everything is fine"

But what about my daughter, she has never mentioned anything and I cant ask her just in case she didnt feel it, is she not saying anything just in case she thinks that we might not have experienced the same? I will never know because I will never ask.

It was real for me, I know she touched me as she started her journey. I know.

Im sorry if you have read this before, its been over 12 years, it still hurts but it helps me to speak about it.

uncle aj

uncle aj

Taffi Abernathy

Taffi Abernathy

Dave,

A very touching and courageous story to discuss with us. Thank you so much for sharing this personal and highly painful experience; it drives home the truly important things in life. Faith

daveathall

It is strange coincidence that my wife was called Carol Ann, my wife now is called Carole Anne.

East Bay Rider

GoodWatch

The devastating news that Anne had breast cancer and the train of events that followed. It is very hard to convey my feelings through words but the gates of hell opened when I heard her surgeon say "it is inoperable now". All became feeble, little and unimportant when I heard it. It all turned out for the best but at that particular moment I was reduced to nothing.

away36

jdc

Our first born was delivered premature and needed Intensive Care. Needless to say it was a very stressful time. After a week we were told by the nurses to take some time off, go out have a meal and try and take our minds off the situation for a few hours.

That night we got a phone call to say things had turned for the worse and get to the hospital as soon as possible. We were told he would probably not make it through the night. Rosemary arranged for her cousin to give the last rites.

Jack made it through the night and made slow but steady progress and came out of hospital 6 weeks later. Jack was twenty on Saturday.

Lion

Dave, Frans and Martin, Thank you for sharing your stories with us. I feel for each one of you in your time of need. Life is a journey of the unknown and all we can do is put forth our best efforts and learn as we go. There are no guarantees or instructions manuals but life is worth living and experiencing the good with the bad. I know it can still hurt but there is only one alternative so all you can do is your best and live with the results.....

BigBird

Dave, all I can say from your post is that it touched me.

JimSnyder

Enjoy each day and never go to bed mad. You just never know.

away36

BigBird

Lion

ABS

Lots of powerful stories guys. Thank you for sharing, my heart is with you all.

uncle aj

I think with me it was the terrorist attack on the Oasis Compound in Saudi Arabia. We had breakfast in the restaurant that was attacked the previous morning. We also were on nodding terms with a lot of the people who were killed. On the day of the attacks I was running a guy to pick his car up from a local garage and we were only minutes ahead of the terrorists and on the same route that they took. It makes you think and take stock of things when you are so close to being involved. I have never told Brenda about being on the same route as the terrorists, some things are best kept quiet.

Jimbits76

Dave I knew the story but it still doesn't lessen the emotional impact. Heartbreaking, I'm sure every single person who read it experienced a moment of complete selfishness and thought "How would I deal with it if..."

The fact that you are here and able to tell us about the hurt is a testament to your strength, character and love.

I'm proud you consider me a friend!

Jim

Taffi Abernathy

This took place many years ago approproximately 10 days prior to Christmas . . . I was leaving my apartment in early morning to catch a train to work, a mental health center on the periphery of Penn's campus. As I was walking out the door, I realized that I was seeing some recovering heroin addicts on my caseload that day and came back inside to exchange my Rolex for a less expensive (and less tempting) watch.

After being at work for only a couple of hours, I began to feel physicially ill as though I were coming down with the same flu that had hit many of my colleagues. I headed home on the train, got to my apartment, put the key in the door, but the door wouldn't budge. "Not to worry," I told myself as the door had become stuck before. I went to the rental office, and was told as soon as the maintainence man was finished with his currently chore, he would assist me. After a twenty minutes wait, I returned to the office and jokingly said, "For all I know I am being robbed, please send someone soon."

This time as I was walking back to my building, I noticed my bedroom screen was on the ground, also not unusual as it had fallen from my window before. However, what I saw when I looked up to that window was fear which struck like lightening - my bedroom shades were fully drawn and window was wide open (I would have never left them like that!). Then and there I knew - serious trouble was ahead.

When two maintenence men finally arrived, they had to break into my apartment. When they swung open the door, there on my living room floor were two huge burlap bags - empty inside. Virtually everything in my apartment had been rifled through - drawers, briefcase, and even foods. When I went in my bedroom I noticed my sunglasses were on my bed, but the spring-loaded case which held them was gone - along with my Rolex, 2 TAG Heuers and diamond earrings. I was particularly heart sick that the earrings which had been in my family for so long, lovingly passed from generation to generation were missing.

The police were notified and a detective arrived shortly thereafter. They combed the place for evidence and dusted for prints, but the thief was never caught. They also informed me that the robbery was in process when I arrived home, leaving the thief no choice but to lock me out and jump from my third floor window to avoid a confrontation.

The next day when I arrived at work, a colleague suggested that I had never been sick at all, but rather my intuition was telling me something was wrong and impelling me to return home. As I look back on this incident she may be right, since once off the train and heading home, the symptoms disappated.

I have since moved, installed a burglar alarm in addition to my canine burglar alarm system. The sense of being violated by having my place entered illegally and my dearest and most private possessions rifled through has also greatly improved over time. Still, the most valuable lesson learned was to pay rapt attention to my intuition regardless of how it attempts to seek expression.

jdc

Dave I don't know what to say, a very powerful story. Adrian shows how easily events could have changed, really scary. Faith thank your luck stars you did not get in the apartment earlier.

PaulG

In 1986 me and my new bride were involved in a serious car crash and the saying is true that time slows to a halt. The five seconds that it took for the speeding Lorry to push our car into the wall seemed to take five minutes. It was surreal, real "slow motion" at 50mph.

In 2001 an incident which occurred during a project I was working on left me with impaired hearing in my left ear and my colleague without his life, sadly.

Got out of that line of work as a result, sold my hifi for obvious reasons and bought a bunch of watches with the proceeds.

Now I have a gloriously boring life and spend a lot of time on watch sites.

Jimbits76

Paul...we miss you!

J

PaulG

Lisa

I keep coming back to this thread but am at a loss for words after reading what many of you have had to deal with in your lives. I'm so sorry for your losses and the pain you have endured.

Carolina

Echoing Lisa here.

BigBird

Taffi Abernathy

Lion

Faith, Thank you for your words of wisdom and I echo Lisa's and Caroline's concerns over everyone's life changing experiences. I have had my share and have discussed them with some of you in the past. I would just like to add that I am grateful to be alive to learn, experience and enjoy life. I will take the good with the bad and put my best foot forward!!!

ABS

Lion

away36

Lion

Which Life Incident Strongly Impacted You?

Re: Which Life Incident Strongly Impacted You?