From: dwb4025@zeus.tamu.edu (BARTEK, DAVID WINFIELD)
Newsgroups: alt.romance.chat
Subject: Candlelit Story
Date: 2 Sep 1992 17:04:00 GMT
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


	I have had a lot of y'all ask me what exactly happened as far
as the near-death experience goes, and i DO want someone to talk about it,
so i've decided to put a short synopsis of what happened here... i know
it isnt exactly romance, but i feel like y'all are family to me, although
i'm often silent in my reading the posts... i'm always here.. just takes
me a while to open up as much ... Thank you to all who showed their concern
for me... i love y'all...  *hug*

Ok, now i wont go into the details of where i was or how i got there... but
let me just say i went on a vacation to the great Northwest... up in the 
glorious mountains... and i did so partially to meet a very close companion
from the vax... this was a mistake looking back on it, but that's another
story.. *small smile*  Anyhow, Judith and I were in the mountains, and had
stopped to have lunch along the way... we stopped at a campground area called
whispering falls (the irony still strikes me as funny =P ) and we had 
sandwiches and winecoolers.. and were just havin a good time talking...
For some unknown reason, i led us back into the woods, alongside this stream.
it was very wide, and had a rocky bottom, and was gorgeous.. babbling,
and cool and clear.... it was a hot day, so i decided to get my feet wet.
i took of my boots (texans always have their boots) and rolled up my jeans
and crawled onto this boulder which sat 6' off the bank... let my feet
hang in the frigid water.. (brrrr) and we were just talking.. it was so
peaceful, calm and quiet....
Then, there were 3 VERY loud gunshot-like sounds... we ducked and were
looking for the source, when Judith screamed and jumped toward the bank
of the stream... Me, being a bit out of place in the mountains and a
little slow when it comes to this sorta stuff, just sat on the rock for
a sec before i realized what was happening... I looked up and saw the 
biggest tree of my life, falling right for the rock i was sitting on...
i was paralyzed for a second.. just watching the tree fall for me, when
i realized,"hey, this is gonna hurt"  =)   so, i jumped into the stream
cutting up my legs pretty bad on the rocks, and covered my head with my
hands, anticipating the sting of the tree... it landed with a mammoth 
splash and crunch, and covered me with all sorts of crap ... the reason
the tree did NOT land on me, was that it had hit a second tree on the way
down, and had been knocked aside... a few feet away from the rock on the
side opposite from me... i started to laugh immediately, and yell 
"YEE HAW!" etc... when i noticed Judith was crying... sobbing.. bawling 
actually. she thought i was dead... she said i SHOULD be dead.. that it
was coming right for me... things i knew were true, but was trying to 
blow off... she said it was a warning from God.. something i still do not
believe to be true.... God saved our lives that day... if He hadnt forseen
this happening, made that second tree grow in the exact spot, avoid illness
etc etc... then i'd be toast right now... i'd be nothing but a faint 
memory... and i thanked God.. have every day since that July afternoon.
It has made me realize how short our time is.. i was almost seriously 
wounded a month and a half before in may, but didnt think about it much.
after the tree, i've thought about it alot... i still dont fear death..
i've always thought i would die before reaching 30... maybe a bit morbid
but not a scary thought... Now, i at least have more faith in how kinda
and wonderful God is... and how much it  has strengthened my resolve in
romance and love.. now, if i could only find my princess, so i can 
treat her like each day was our last, and make her feel as special as 
she would be to me...   

sorry i've kinda rambled a bit more than i'd intended.. but.. hope this
answers some of your questions.. you'll probably be afraid to ever ask
me anything again... *laugh*  

i DO thank you for listening... and being here for me, as God was on that
warm july afternoon... 

*sending yellow roses out to everyone in ARC land...*

dave
Candlelit Eyes
Newsgroups: alt.romance.chat