The Ones That Got Away

P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

The Ones That Got Away
Donnie Mack Hall surely considers himself a lucky man. Not once but twice in the same day, he could have been killed. He had only minor injuries at the end of the day - but was on guard against a third mishap. Early in March, the 60-year-old Mr. Hall was walking home from his job, when he walked right into the path of a slow-moving train that knocked him about three metres off the railway tracks! Investigators found that Mr. Hall normally wears two hearing aids but had only one in place at the time. When he heard the noise of the oncoming train, he apparently got disorientated, thought it was coming from the opposite direction, and walked right into harm's way. As you would expect, an ambulance was called. Paramedics examined Mr. Hall and prepared to transport him to hospital. As they were loading him into their vehicle, a car slammed into it! Fortunately, neither Mr. Hall, the paramedics, nor any of the four passengers in the car suffered serious injury from the crash. So a second ambulance had to be called, and it transported the twice-traumatized man for treatment - without further incident. When he arrived at the hospital he was treated for cuts, bruises, and a broken finger. Well, not everyone is so fortunate. People die every day from freak accidents or injuries that appear to be very minor. Donnie Hall survived two misadventures in the same day, either of which might have been fatal. We can only hope he is counting his blessings. Hugging the people who matter to him. And thanking God. Friend, I suspect you've had some "close calls" in your own life. Maybe you've walked away from a car crash, an accident on the farm, or construction accident. Perhaps you've had an emergency appendectomy or successful angioplasty following chest pain. Possibly your good fortune was to have pulled back from a shady deal just before investigators moved in or to have been put on probation instead of in jail. Maybe conscience kept a ridiculous flirtation from blossoming into a full-fledged affair. What we often call "lucky breaks" come disguised in many costumes. Again, let me remind you, not everyone gets one. Some people pay full fare in those awful moments. And the damage can never be undone. Perhaps we should all reflect a bit on "the ones that got away" - and be so very grateful. More than that, we should realize that being spared some terrible fate is the chance to be circumspect and wiser - not to tempt fate yet again. Have a great day!

Donnie Mack Hall surely considers himself a lucky man. Not once but twice in the same day, he could have been killed. He had only minor injuries at the end of the day - but was on guard against a third mishap.

Early in March, the 60-year-old Mr. Hall was walking home from his job, when he walked right into the path of a slow-moving train that knocked him about three metres off the railway tracks! Investigators found that Mr. Hall normally wears two hearing aids but had only one in place at the time. When he heard the noise of the oncoming train, he apparently got disorientated, thought it was coming from the opposite direction, and walked right into harm's way.

As you would expect, an ambulance was called. Paramedics examined Mr. Hall and prepared to transport him to hospital. As they were loading him into their vehicle, a car slammed into it! Fortunately, neither Mr. Hall, the paramedics, nor any of the four passengers in the car suffered serious injury from the crash. So a second ambulance had to be called, and it transported the twice-traumatized man for treatment - without further incident. When he arrived at the hospital he was treated for cuts, bruises, and a broken finger.

Well, not everyone is so fortunate. People die every day from freak accidents or injuries that appear to be very minor. Donnie Hall survived two misadventures in the same day, either of which might have been fatal. We can only hope he is counting his blessings. Hugging the people who matter to him. And thanking God.

Friend, I suspect you've had some "close calls" in your own life. Maybe you've walked away from a car crash, an accident on the farm, or construction accident. Perhaps you've had an emergency appendectomy or successful angioplasty following chest pain. Possibly your good fortune was to have pulled back from a shady deal just before investigators moved in or to have been put on probation instead of in jail. Maybe conscience kept a ridiculous flirtation from blossoming into a full-fledged affair.

What we often call "lucky breaks" come disguised in many costumes. Again, let me remind you, not everyone gets one. Some people pay full fare in those awful moments. And the damage can never be undone.

Perhaps we should all reflect a bit on "the ones that got away" - and be so very grateful. More than that, we should realize that being spared some terrible fate is the chance to be circumspect and wiser - not to tempt fate yet again.

Have a great day!