Happy Hour: Dodging the Grim Reaper and other dangers.

Good evening! Today is the second post for another Happy Hour story. I was sitting in my Thursday lecture thinking of which stories to tell, well, since it is almost October 👻🎃 I wanted to tell several near death experiences that happened to me! I swear, I dodge the Grim Reaper like it's a game of Temple Run. I have had several near death experiences, but I am telling the ones that affected my life the most for good.

1.) This was the first near death experience I remember. I was a toddler, probably around the age three or four, I was playing with coined money. I have no idea why it's a thing for kids to put things in their mouths, but you bet I put that big shiny quarter in my mouth and swallowed it. Now I've heard of kids eating legos and pooping them out a day or so later, but I have never heard of a kid swallowing money, gross. I suddenly felt light, as if something was pulling me out of my body. I couldn't breathe, I then thought of how sad my mom would be, I then immediately shoved my little hand into my mouth and pulled out that quarter. I never put anything that I could not swallow in my mouth after that.

2.) I live in Arizona. It is a thing to get heat stroke. I was around the age nine, I had karate on a hot summer Saturday morning. I did not drink a sufficient amount of water that morning, I was exhausted, I fell ill on the mat. My Sensei had to take me to the closest ER/Urgent Care. All I remember was pain, dizziness, a delicious cup of cold gatorade, and my Sensei asking me if I had a crush on his son. Surprisingly, a lot of people die or get valley fever from a heat stroke, it is very serious. Never come to AZ in the summer, if you do, bring water and stay in shade.

3.) Have you ever got lost on a mountain? I have, by myself, at the age 12. This experience was totally way better. Especially since I had no water, snacks, compass, phone, and I did not know my directions to get back down. I literally wandered around the mountain until I heard a group of girls singing about 1/4 of a mile away. By the time I got back to the camping ground, I fell ill from being fatigue previously. Fantastic. Have a hiking buddy or dog. Or just know your directions.

4.) There is a crossroad by my house that I HATE to drive on, especially since no one knows how to drive in AZ. EVERYTIME my friend, Kara, and I would pass that road, a deadly car accident would always happen in front of us or behind us, we would miss being in the accident by a few seconds. The accidents started happening less throughout the years, and now we're okay to pass through.

5.) I just never learn about having water with me. I went to my first concert in 2013, in the summer, it was 119 F, I was outside from 8am until 11pm. I got symptoms of a heat stroke, I literally felt like I was dying. Outside concerts in AZ during the summer should be illegal.

6.) This is a really long story, another story for a future Happy Hour story, so I will sum it up. Peers in my class were threatening me, they injured me so severely, I had the belief that GPD would find my body floating in the canal with several opened wounds.

7.) Another fantastic longs story I will have to save for a future Happy Hour post, someone lost drug money to the Bloods gang caraphernelia and since I associated myself with that person, my life was in danger and I was being followed/threatened to be shot within 48 hours.

8.) Last, but never least, the fantastic 3 day long crippling adventure of me breaking my lower back due to weight lifting.

Until next Thursday for another Happy Hour story, have a great week/weekend and be well.

-CO