Sometimes I’m surprised I survived to see adulthood. I think that about a lot of kids actually, especially after seeing Youtube fail compilations.
The following is a true story. There was a large river near our house when I was in high school. Parts of it went through a high gorge just below the big waterfall our town was named after. I would go down and climb on the rocks by the water and have a great time. One time, I decided to climb up the cliff face right under the bridge that went across the gorge. It was over sixty feet high and I didn’t have any ropes, but I was a good climber, and if there is anything teenagers have, it’s recklessness confidence.
The actual river, just down from where I climbed up.
I got about two thirds of the way up and ran into trouble. The rock became friable, breaking off in my hand. There were no solid handholds. I couldn’t go back down and directly below me were sharp rocks and the fast, swirling water of the river. Also, no one knew where I was. I started praying hard for God to get me out of there safely.
There were obviously guardian angels clocking some overtime, because I managed to get around the hard area and get up to the top. I’d like to say I learned something from the experience and maybe I did, but what I should have known was this was not something to tell my mother. This is the sort of thing that gives mothers (and later, wives) heart attacks.
So, later that evening: “Guess what, Mom? I almost died today.”
What a bad son.
The Green-Walled Tower 
November 9th, 2012 at 9:13 pm
I remember that!!
November 9th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
Love this! Yes, it is the sort of thing that gives us heart attacks.
November 9th, 2012 at 11:44 pm
We often talk of life in stages: childhood, teenage, adulthood and old age…
I believe that at the end of the day, learning, growing and maturing as a person is what matters.
Old isn’t one who has lived many years; old is one who has grown from strength to strength, banking on experiences and challenges. And suffering.
That’s some divine intervention, David. I had a mini-heart attack reading it!
November 10th, 2012 at 12:13 am
Your right that number of years alone doesn’t matter as much. I think I got a lot older that day. 🙂 I’m still adventurous, but you have to know your limits.
November 10th, 2012 at 5:02 am
Yes, you are a bad son!
🙂
November 10th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
It happens. I’m sure she’s forgiven me at some point.
November 10th, 2012 at 11:23 am
I remember those “OMG, I almost said that” moments! Great story-beebeesworld
November 13th, 2012 at 2:08 am
your mom must have had a heart attack!
November 13th, 2012 at 9:07 am
she’s pretty tough and she is adventurous enough herself, but yeah, hopefully I didn’t do too much damage to her internal organs while I was growing up.