What was your closest brush with death?

@filmbuff (2909)
United States
March 18, 2008 7:20pm CST
Living is a dangerous business. I can't count how many times I've been inches from death door; there were times I could taste the musty breath of the grim reaper yet some how miracles survived (mostly) unscathed. Here is story one of many: When I was about 16 I went with to farm with a friend to see his friend, to use their gym and practice kung fu. He and his father were professional bodybuilders, (His father is a former Mr. Universe.) so needless to say that had a nice setup. I mentioned it's on a farm because that is important, there were lots animals running around lose and I was warned about a Ram who had the run of the property. They had a nice spread, we were working out in a converted barn, when all of a sudden the double doors flew open with a bang! I heard my new bodybuilder friend yell for us to run and he and my other friend took off. I turned and saw this gigantic ram standing in the middle of the double doors, I instinctivly backed up and found myself staring this beast down my back against a concrete, and the Ram blocking the only way out. I thought I was going to die. Nowhere to run, with a beast twice my size (I was about 5 feet tall, maybe 100 pounds) doing his best impressions of a bull! Head down, snorting, tapping the ground with one of his front hoofs. Time slows way down in a situation like this. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew that my life depended on what happened next. I gestured with my hands, and said, "Bring it on." The ram took off coming straight at me. Everything was in slow motion, and I felt my muscles tense, every instinct telling me to move, but it was too soon, I waited for what seemed like an eternity and just when it was about to smash me into the concrete wall I sprang to the side, while grabbing the horns and and pushing off them. I heard a loud *crack* that sounded like a gunshot. It wasn't a gun, it was the ram hitting the wall. I say I heard it, because I never looked back, I just kept sprinting for the exit. Running out of the barn on onto the gravel and dirt outside, I tried to turn not sure where to run and my feet slipped out from underneath me. My friends all laughed at the sight. Cracking up, while I'm thinking that I'm about to die again. I quickly get up and run to them, both sitting atop a swingset where the ram couldn't get near them. I sprang up that thing and could see into where I came out of. The ram was still dazed, trying to shake it off, one horn broken, dangling. After the laugher stopped my friend said to me, "I thought you were going to die," Dazed all I could say was, "Me too." So what was your closest brush with death, and did it change your perspective on life?
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