re: What is the closest you have come to dying?

All stuff that happened when I was in the Army.

1. Lost control of rope during fast roping exercise in Africa that none of us were properly trained for. Luckily only ended up with fractured ankle.

2. Friendly fire towards my platoon's parked Hum-vee by Special Forces guys during night live fire exercise. In Iraq.

3. Grenade chucked at our vehicle driving down an Iraqi highway. Missed my window by a few feet, although I could be misremembering how close it actually was since it was 10 years ago.

I was a paratrooper and I am a veteran but the Closest I came to dying was working on my wife's SUV. I didn't set the emergency brake while it was up on ramps. Went to change the neutral safety switch. It's on the "shifter" stud sticking out of the side of the transmission. I stuck my wrench on the nut on the stud and tapped it to loosen the nut. It threw the car in neutral and it started rolling backwards. Luckily it stopped on the little lip at the top of the ramp.

It would have rolled back on my chest and still been somewhat on the ramp pinning me. I was by myself and there would have been nothing I could have done.

Something so simple was the closest I ever got.

One morning going fishing, I was traveling about 70 in some real dense fog. About 5 miles from the marina I had a truck zip by me on the wrong side of the highway. Luckily he was in the left lane and I was in the right. I figured 70 + 70+ Head on = the end of JD10

Almost drowned in the ocean when I was like 10. I still hate going past where I can stand

Heat stroke during summer practice while playing high school. That was back in the day when water was thought to be the enemy and salt tablets were thought to be the answer. Was taken to the ER where I lost consciousness. Spent two days in the hospital with IVs stuck in me. They told my parents they almost lost me. My father never left my side....God rest his soul.

Haven't been able to tolerate heat since then. Afterr mowing my yard I have a buzz and a bad buzz. I've learned not to get too much exposure to heat. When I was younger there were times I was an impaired driver after too much heat. This is why my seats in a Tiger Stadium for early September are on sale every year.

Subdural hematoma at age 11, fell off bike with no helmet. Thank god for Memorial Hermann in Houston. Week in hospital after they cut my skull to let my brain bruise out.

Roll over accident

I was born prematurely and almost died then. That's probably the closest I've come.

I had to pass some idiot walking their pit bull on the park trail last week. Thought it was the end.