Fear is something not normally dealt with on a regular basis. The thing feared could kill and the effects of fear can kill. A small child is one person who rarely deals with fear because their parents are so attentive and somewhat overbearing. One little girl did not fall into this category, even though her parents were attentive and overbearing. Her near-death experience is ingrained into her memory and unfortunately, it occurred again later in her life.

The first occurrence took place during a family vacation to Florida. The air was dense with humidity and the heat was sweltering, everybody they had talked to that morning was heading to the beach. They ate breakfast at their hotel because it was included in the price and then they set out for the beach. The little girl was so excited! It was her first time swimming in the warm waters, where she lived the water was always freezing and she never dared to get in. Her mom and dad were excited to have a beach day as well, the whole family was in high spirits. To get to the beach they had to walk across the road, a four-lane road. The road was intimidating even for a full grown adult, but the little girl knew she was safe because she was with her parents. This little girl was so excited and was so absorbed in thinking about what she was going to do first that she didn’t hear her parents. She stepped out into the crosswalk only to realize that there was a truck. Luckily, the truck had stopped to let the little girl and her family pass. She determined that the truck was a nice one because it had stopped for her and it was a pretty red color. Almost “hit-me” red. The little girl then took another step...

Only to be yanked back and enfolded in her mother’s arms. She was so confused, she didn't know why her mother had pulled her back. She soon learned the reason when she watched a big garbage truck slam into the back of the truck that had stopped for her to cross the street. The truck went flying past her, right where she would’ve been standing if her mother hadn't have pulled her back. Immediately she heard screaming, but she didn’t know where from; the truck was gone and all that was left was a smashed garbage truck. She watched her dad and others run towards the garbage truck and her mom call 9-1-1. After this moment the little girl's memory will go blank, she will never be able to remember the rest of that vacation or what happened after. She learned later from her parents that the lady and the man driving the garbage truck were okay. The most life-threatening injury they had obtained was a broken leg. Also, the man driving the pick-up truck that was hit remained unharmed. She was told that after talking to the police about the accident they still went to the beach and had a fun time.

Her second near-death experience occurred later, almost ten years later. The Brewer High School basketball game had gotten out,  which she attended with her parents and her best friend. Brewer had won the game, so conversation was free-flowing and upbeat. They had parked across the street in the nursing home parking lot because they had not wanted to deal with the full parking lot in the high school. When they approached the crosswalk the cars on either side of the road stopped for them. They started to cross the street, her dad and her friend in front of her and her mom a little behind her. They made it to the other lane before one of them saw another set of headlights beside the stopped car. The person who noticed was the always attentive mother. The mother knowing that the headlights would not stop, pulled her daughter, the little girl back, and her husband back and out of the way. The little girl knew from past experiences that her mother had a reason for pulling her back, so she grabbed her best friend and pulled her back. A black pick up truck shuddered to a stop right where they had been standing. The girl and her best friend were in a state of shock, but the girl’s parents started screaming and swearing at the guy. There were so many voices that they think some of the other drivers joined in too. No other events occurred in the few steps left and they made it to their car without harm.  The little girl and her family were grateful for not being hit, but were also still very shaken up. As they were leaving they laughed it off, but each one of them knows that they will never forget this experience.

Sadly, because of other people’s actions, this little girl’s memories of near death will be forever burned into her mind. Hopefully, her memories will serve a greater purpose, maybe to help others or even her own kids one day. Cars and crosswalks are dangerous, pay attention. This little girl, who is now a grown-up could’ve died at the ripe age of six years old.