High time for a personal blog as it's been a bit of time since I've posted anything of note. For the most part I try to avoid posting anything of mundane minutia as I don't think it would be of general interest to the world at large (barring you cybervoyeurs out there). However, an incident that could have cost me my life transpired yesterday - and I have "relaxed" enough now to coherently tell the tale.
Early yesterday morning, I awoke to find about a half dozen firemen and some paramedics in my apartment. Deep asleep in my bedroom, I was roused from slumber in a foggy haze, going through the proverbial motions as if I were on "auto pilot" of sorts. One rescue worker asked if I were alright and then advised me to get dressed and get out of my premises immediately. Hurriedly throwing on some clothes and getting outside, I found a couple fire trucks, police cars, an ambulance, and some spectators lined up along the street. I was still groggy from being in a state of deep sleep and attempting to process the calamity that befell me.
After answering a round of questions to determine if I was OK, I discovered that my gas water heater had malfunctioned and was spewing toxic levels of carbon monoxide in my home. Fortunately for me, my bedroom is on another floor and some distance away from the heater. However, since I was the only one home and would have likely remained asleep for hours, the levels would have accumulated throughout the house to a state of high toxicity.
In essence, if it weren't for the very acute ears of a passing officer who happened to hear the alarm in my apartment while passing by (I would have never had heard it as I tend to run a fan to block noises from the outside), the probability of me dying in my sleep owing to poisoning was quite pronounced. Simply, I was fortunate to be rescued in time and to be alive - or not in a vegetative comatose state.
After the din of excitement quieted down, I informed my "legions" of what ensued via Facebook and received an avalanche of concern via phone calls, messages, and so forth. I then attempted to recoup the sleep I lost with a nap - and awoke at 7:30 PM, a bit later than I anticipated. Just after, one of my friends called me and asked to join him for dinner out at "Chongo's" - of which "Oscar" made a cameo as well. Interested in the "close call" I experienced, I found myself repeatedly telling the tale which now virtually seems to be a staple in cumulative inventory of my life experiences.
At the end of a very engaging and engrossing day and upon deep reflection, it became quite apparent - I had a brush with mortality, death - and survived to tell the tale. This wasn't my first "encounter", nor likely my last. But for the moment, it serves as a catalyst for me to take stock of this "thing" we call existence, Life, and contemplate the big picture a bit more intently.
Not that it is lost upon me but, it is greatly reassuring to realize and know that you mean something to someone - of which was more than apparent judging from the outpuring of genuine concern and affection I received from my friends and family throughout the experience. To them, I owe them my eternal thanks.
Viva Life!
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