FWIW, I was mostly interested in what actions inspired feelings of revenge. Not necessarily whether revenge was worth taking. Though that's an interesting topic in its own right. Like Bev and Laura I've had to consciously walk away from my anger to keep my soul intact.

But since I'm pestering the board, I've been wondering this...

When were you the closest to dying?

David, your next question better be something like "When have you had the most fun while surrounded by twenty-three adorable puppies?"

I am now in stage Sneezeyourbrainsout.

I ate my lunch at 10:30.

But! I had lots and lots of hot water this morning. Nice long shower.

FWIW, I was mostly interested in what actions inspired feelings of revenge. Not necessarily whether revenge was worth taking. Though that's an interesting topic in its own right. Like Bev and Laura I've had to consciously walk away from my anger to keep my soul intact.

Right. I mean, since no one here has actually posted their tales of revenge on these people, presumably we've all had our reasons not to give in to our worse instincts. It's almost mandatory to mentally distinguish between the person you are and the person they are.

When were you the closest to dying?

That's a toss up between appendicitis and sitting up on the back of a 60's era white Cadillac convertible going 100 mph+ down a back road in Maine.

Granted, the latter I wasn't so much aware of how close I was to buying it, but in retrospect it seems pretty obvious. Ah, those "immortal" teenage years.

As to the former, there was a big "oh please just let me die" component to it, even though the appendix never actually burst, but I figure it's a pretty life threatening condition nonetheless. All in all quite a brush with mortality for someone in the 8th grade.

I think I was closest to dying once when I merged onto some godawful highway in New Jersey - I suddenly found my lane was disappearing and there were two lanes to the left of me and three lanes to the right all going about 75 and honking at ME.

I also had a panicked moment when I jumped into a pool, drunk, in my underwear, at a kibbutz in Israel, and swallowed water and couldn't breathe, and had to marshal myself to get to the side and pant for several minutes. There were lots of people around, but nobody seemed to notice Me Drowning Here!

Sledding accident when I was 12. I ruptured my spleen and had emergency surgery. I didn't know until much later that I had a very serious injury, as the staff was so relaxed and calm with me. I was in the hospital a week and missed a month of school. I remember I got a lot of presents AND the nurses would bring you Coke if you asked for it, which I found the height of luxury.

Apparently, Whiners Become Republicans [link]

(actually, that is a gross oversimplification and an indepth 20 year study is going to be dismissed with a phrase. but the article is interesting)

We should all propose our next topic! And then have a Mr. Poll on what it will be, how long it will last, and how voyeuristic it could possibly get on the Jerry Springer -- Tyra Banks -- Ellen DeGeneris scale.

When were you the closest to dying?

I was 13, and came down with a rare form of pneumonia. (I was the eighth person in the state that year to get it.) Three days on the couch at home, thinking it was the flu. When we realized it was something worse, I was in the hospital lickety-split. Three more days there, until another doctor (covering for mine's three-day weekend) realized it had gotten really bad and shuffled me off to the children's hospital an hour away. (Note: they moved me on my birthday, which, you know, suck, but I got two birthday cakes that year!) Another two weeks recovering. I found out years later exactly how bad it was, and had they not moved me when they did... well, you know.