Guardian Angels and Near Death Experiences

Near Death Experiences

Today was meant to be the first of many beautiful days. I was done with summer school and looking forward to working full-time with SDI Properties. However, earlier this summer I realized that I was about to get more than I bargained for. During a staff meeting I was sent down to our warehouse to receive some pallets of dinnerware arriving from Toronto, Canada. As I arrived at the warehouse I called the driver of the soon to arrive semi. Yapoo didn't speak much English and refused to work with me or even pull his semi around to our warehouse door. After battling with him finally I decided that I best just meet his unreasonable requests and I went on the search for anyone around who could lower the four pallets off the semi. Eventually after a struggle the pallets were safely in the parking lot. From here the battle only grew more intense. . . you see our storage unit is in the basement of a strip mall that is only accessible by scaling down a 40 degree 60 yard hill to the bottom. After being told by my supervisors to just hang tight and wait I decided that given my past experience moving around ice pallets. . . I would save everyone the trouble and challenge the hill. I mean what could be the worst that could happen? So off I went dragging the pallet around the corner, then slowly being sure to stop the pallet every step or so I scaled down in reverse with the 1600 pound pallet loaded up with expensive stoneware weighing down on me.

Eventually I started to remember that ever so important principle of gravity. My slow walk turned into a steady walk, then to a reverse jog, and then into a uncontrollable back peddle. Then in my mind a moment of decision - do I stay behind this pallet and risk being crushed by the pallet and the nearing cement wall and chainlink fence? Or do I bail and run a very high risk of breaking $1,500 worth of high end material. Before I knew it my mind was made up for me - BAIL or be crushed. As I got out of the way the moment suddenly became slow motion as I watched the pallet travel the last 15 yards out of control I could only wait for the consequences of my decision. Shortly thereafter the pallet slammed squarely into the cement and fence bending the fence back but then the miracle- silence.

Guardian Angels

In hindsight there is much that I can not explain. 1) I have never known the wheels on a pallet jack to stay straight without someone holding it 2) There was a semi coming from the back to round the corner and leave the strip mall - 15 seconds later the pallet would of been the new hood ornament for a Kenworth Semi 3) Without the 6 inch cement wall the wheels wouldn't of stopped and the pallet would of barreled through the fence (given it did bend it pretty good) 4) How did I get out of the way? Think about it, how "lucky" to be able to get out of the way, the result of me being caught would be nothing short then a few broken bones or worse.

In the end I figure I could make the "dumbest people video list" on Youtube, but still can't understand why I spared major expense, injury, and all the possible outcomes to the scenario. So the morale of the story - Don't Do Dumb Things - And if you do hope you are living your life right (atleast right enough to avoid major disaster).