Almost a year ago, I lived a near-death experience. It was the morning of May and I decided to get hash browns for breakfast before I went to work. I stopped at a convenience store of a gas station. I was there along with other customers. We all were minding our own businesses when a man made an entrance to the store. He was holding a woman, who was his wife, by her arm while he was screaming at her. She looked horrified. She looked like she was trying to get out of his side. She was crying. Then, he grabbed a gun he had in his pants and was pointing it at her...
Long story short, all the customers, employees, and I were kept there for about 3 hours. We couldn't get out because the man will point at us with the gun and he was standing by the doors. One of the customers tried doing so and he was shot. He shot this man and his wife. Both of them ended dead.
Police came by the side door and shot the guy...
Me, while everything was happening... couldn't believe I was going through that experience, I only wanted hash browns. You know what people say about you having a mental movie in your head of all your life when you are experiencing something like this, yes, that happened to me. All my life went through my mind. My present life too. My future... I remember thinking that I wanted to do and experience a lot of things, I didn't want to die.
I was there with children, young and older women, young and older men, people from different backgrounds and social status, with different ethnics and we all were feeling the same: terror. You could see the terror in their eyes, as I am sure they could see it in mine.
But life is generous and gave me a second chance to live. I came out of there alive. Alive and without a scratch. My heart was all shattered, but still alive. Every morning when I wake up, I give thanks for a new day and for my second chance to live. It hasn't been easy dealing with the aftermath of the experience but I'm a strong person and I have had good people beside me. There are days that I remember what happen and nightmares come at night, the day seems to be very heavy, and tears might come down but then I remember that I'm here alive, that life has given me a second chance... and intend to make the best of it.
