
We're all human.
Reddit user, u/RonTheChicken, wanted to hear the harrowing tale when they asked:
What's the closest you've been to dying?
The worst part about most of these stories is how quickly they can come about. You're living your life, not thinking of death, when suddenly you're forced to immediately ponder how you're going to make it out alive.
A Story Worth Being Told
"Right after I was born I wasn't breathing at all. I obviously don't remember what happened but I slowly started breathing more and more and my mom finally got to hold me 8 hours after being born.'"
"I couldve only lived a few minutes if I wouldn't started breathing."
Why Would You Need To...Oh, You Were Underwater
"Do you know how difficult it is to open the door on a submerged car? Cuz I do. Not fun, wouldn't recommend."
Boy, Those Rocks Are Coming Up Awfully Fast...
"Me and the gymnastics team of my country decided to go on a trip to Greece with our gfs/bfs. One day we saw a cliff diving spot and me and the boys decided to go there as our gfs were at the shops shopping. So there was a big cliff like 20 metres tall and people were jumping off from it into the sea. So us being the daredevilish gymnasts we were we went to jump off too. So by that.te we all jumped like 4 times to get the hang of it and then we started flipping and doing tricks off of it. So there was this guy in front of us that wasn't a gymnast that decided to do a flip."
"Clearly he hadn't done that before because with the trojectory he had he was gonna land short of the sea into the rocks and die. So I was next to him in the line to jump so when I saw him getting the wrong trojectory I said in my head "ok all or nothing" so I jumped almost a second later and because I wasn't flipping like him I went down faster and because I aimed at the sea in front I pushed him and me in the air to the sea. In the end we both landed in the sea and I saved him from going on the rocks. We could have both died but it was way worth it. That's the closest I've been to dying and trust me I have done extreme stuff before."
Life is a roll of the dice sometimes, and even when the window of desired result is small, you somehow still hit the double 6s. These people made it out when there should have been no reasonable way for them to survive.
A Welcome Failure
"Stepped in two trip-wire IED's that failed to detonate."
"Had a guy face me with a PKM and cut loose at about 30-40 meters. He missed with all 40-50 rds, no idea how, I was in the ball open."
Okay, Brag.
"Which time?
-Heat stroke in june 2007 iraq with 112 degree core temp.
-Heat exhaustion 2008 with 106 core temp.
-IED blast 2012 Afghanistan."
People Explain Which Expensive Purchases Paid For Itself In The Long Run | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Already In A Lucky Space
"During giving birth a large blood vessel rupured causing a big bleeding. But I was in hospital anyways and the doctors rushed for medication and stiches and everything was fine, I never lost consciousness or needed a transfusion."
Dragged Away From Shore
"I was in Taiwan for holidays, and went swimming in the sea. A big wave toppled me over and brought me a few meters from the coast. The waves were too strong for me to go back to the beach, and I started to have trouble staying on the surface and breathing. Luckily my friend was a good swimmer and was able to get me back to shore. The whole thing lasted a few minutes but I definitely thought I was going to die there, barely 5 meters away [from] safe ground."
Seeing Your Fate In Another Headline
"When I was being an idiot in the middle of the night and crashed my car going well over 100mph. Hit multiple polls and rolled my car. Walked away with a small bruise from the seat belt. Two people died in a nearby city a week later in an almost identical crash."
​Fortunately, these stories are all about people almost dying, narrowly escaping death's grasp when the fingers were just about to close around their necks.
Or when death forgot to turn the water off.
Wait, You Couldn't Get...Okay...
"Spontaneous pneumothorax. Twice. 2nd time I didn't want have surgery my left lung completely collapsed chest filled with blood plasma and air started to crush my right lung. My heart beat went da dum bloop da dum bloop in stead of the the normal da dum da dum because it would pop air bubbles when it would beat."
"I was a senior in highschool. Only reason I went to the doctor the 2nd time was because I had this gorgeous girl over and couldn't get fully hard because I wasn't getting enough air and she kept commenting on how odd my heart beat was. Haha"
So Soon Ago...
"few hours ago, i turned on the water heater in the bathroom to take a shower and went outside to grab something, and suddenly it exploded, the whole house shook and my ears were immediately blocked and my eyes hurt from the flash, i turned off the electric circuit just incase, and went to the bathroom just to find it completely broken and splashing water while wires were hanging out off it, i still can't process that i could've waited longer and just got electrocuted while burning with almost boiling hot water."
With Friends Like These...
"14 years old, went to my mates house to drink with his parents asleep upstairs. I remember having two drinks then nothing till I woke in the hospital. Turns out I'd been very drunk and sitting on the floor, I asked my mates for a glass of water and they gave me a glass of vodka which I drank entirely. I then was more drunk and wouldn't wake up so they poured glasses of water over me to try wake me, then dragged me into the bathroom next door into the bath and left me soaking wet in a freezing cold bathroom. Luckily his mum came downstairs and found me in their bath (not sure how long I was in there before she came down) they found me blue, shivering, soaking wet, and they couldn't wake me at all so they called an ambulance."
"They arrived and had to inject me with adrenaline to get me able to move into the ambulance, they then had to treat me for hyperthermia because of the freezing cold water. I was 30 minutes from death according to them, my three mates literally left me there to die in that bathroom. Safe to say I was grounded for a bit and didn't drink until much further down the line like I should've done in the first place. My mates came up with some story about us being out before we went to the house and that I must've taken drugs when they weren't there to see it so that they weren't the ones who caused the state I was in. I am no longer friends with these people..."
At Least You Have A Fun New Nickname?
"Went to the top of a mountain to ride some mountain bikes down it with my friends. There were some of their parents there to haul the bikes up there too. My brake pads were worn out so I was uncomfortable going down on it, so I was walking it down to the trailhead where I'd be ok."
"One of the parents said I'd be fine if I just pumped the brakes as I went down, so I did. I was nervous as I got on the seat, but I tried it nonetheless."
"Before I knew it I was going too fast to stop, because even though I was pumping the brakes, the pads were so worn and loose that it didn't matter. I must've been going about 30-40 mph before I sped past my group yelling, "I'M SPEEDY MAGEE."
"I noticed the start to the trailhead was on an incline, so I headed up the incline and fell off my bike in a controlled crash."
"I didn't notice until months later that I was so close to dying when my friend told me he thought I was going to die because we were on the edge of a cliff when all that happened."
"My tunnel vision prevented me from realizing how scary and dangerous it actually was."
Something To Live With Forever
"I traded duty days and the person that I traded with died that night with the rest of the crew."
"Do you ever feel guilty or bad about it?"
"He traded because he wanted to be off the next duty day for his young son's birthday. Yes, but I realize it's something that I had no power over."
Be safe out there, okay? You never know when something is coming to get you.
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Life can change in an instant.
It can always change for the better.
Just ask any lottery winner.
Sadly, life can also take a turn for the worst and leave people shattered beyond repair.
Watching someone's life fall apart in a short amount of time is difficult.
You have to wonder if there really is such a thing as karma, bad luck, or Voodoo.
Redditor OkImagination5852 wanted to hear about the times we've been witness to personal disaster. They asked:
"People who witness a person's life crumble in a single day, what happened?"
I have lived through a lot of bad days. But thankfully they've been one disaster at a time days. So I guess I'm lucky.
Horror
"A friend of a friend had his entire family killed overnight. He was from my college and was home visiting his family. His parents, siblings, and extended family were all there together. One night, while they were all asleep, his father got up, took out a gun, and went on a shooting spree. He then killed himself."
"Everyone except this guy died on the spot. When my friend visited him at the hospital, the guy was still in shock. He had no idea why his father did that. This was more than a decade ago, and I have no idea how he's doing now."
DeadOnDeparture98
The IRS Called
"Knew a guy who had a nice house, wife, 3 kids. Machine shop in his garage, Snap On tool truck, sign out front, great mechanic. Never incorporated, didn't pay taxes on his business, cash only. Took nice vacations, bought a boat, then a camper. Five years later, the IRS came. I don't know what they estimated he owed but they seized everything. He lives alone in a trailer now."
Nobody_Wins_13
2 at Once
"My mom’s dad and dad’s mom both died on the same day. Completely unrelated. We were pretty messed up for awhile. It was 2010. Mom's dad had emphysema (lifetime smoker) and was pretty sick for a few weeks. I was in college at the time and came home to be with him, because we knew he was about to pass. Dad's mom was in the nursing home, as she had had a stroke and also had dementia (she often thought I was my dad, she thought we were in the 70s, etc.)."
"She took a turn for the worst, and so my dad left the hospice my grandpa was at and went to be with her. The towns they were in were about an hour apart, so I stayed behind with my mom to comfort her when her dad passed. A few hours go by, and he passes peacefully (huge thanks to the hospice workers for their respect and grace during this time)."
"Within an hour or so of his passing, we get a call from my dad saying that his mother had passed as well. It was a terribly dark day in our family, and the next couple years for me in college were pretty much a blur. Thankfully, things got better in time and we are all doing well now."
She lost everything...
"Her husband left her after previously persuading her to remortgage their house to save his business and he's already made her take multiple credit cards out in her name. She lost everything. He did it the week after their youngest turned 18 so he wouldn't have to pay child support. He'd obviously been planning for years."
Ieatclowns
a black sheep...
"My cousin was in a motorcycle accident with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend died. She broke her back. When she was in the hospital she learned she was pregnant. It's been 16 years and we're still trying our best, she took an all too familiar path of drugs, burning bridges and more pregnancies."
"At this point she's fairly stable and clean as far as I know but a bit of a black sheep. Her mother has custody of all one of her kids. She has her youngest and seems to be doing good by her, but who knows. It's been hard on everyone, especially her mother and her brother."
Paradigm6790
Well this is the stuff of nightmares. I'm grateful for every moment I have alive.
Several lawsuits are filed...
"Here is multiple lives ruined in an instant. A friend was over at some other people house, drugs were involved. They had been playing with a gun. My friend points the gun at a girl, pulls the trigger and shoots her in the head. Girl dies, friend gets locked up until he turns 18. Parents at the house get arrested because they knew what the kids were doing. Friends mom goes into a depression and ends up getting evicted from her house. Several lawsuits are filed."
sentondan
Gone Forever
"It was me... got in a car accident and suffered a traumatic spinal and brain injury that I had no chance of surviving... a 7 vertebrae spinal fusion, yrs of physical and mental therapy... 18 yrs later and the pieces, though many forever gone, are finally coming back together."
2boneskuLL
A Bad Night
"He trashed his fathers vacation house with an axe before setting it on fire, stabbed the neighbor nearly to death, stole their car and then crashed it into a cop car so bad the cops were injured. He also got his girl pregnant, so once he is out of prison they're gonna start a family."
Dumbing_It_Down
"dangerous"
"Pregnant friend found out husband (43) was having an affair with young woman (19) who was a volunteer at their ecolodge. Friend had 'dangerous' pregnancy and had to spend a lot of time in bed. This betrayal destroyed their marriage, split the little town where they lived and caused two employees to quit because witnessing the affair going on was just too painful."
"She had a beautiful baby girl (to go with her other two girls, lol) and after the breakup was clinically depressed. Worked hard and got a divorce (she had a great lawyer); got the business back on track; beat her depression and now is planning a great vacation trip with her girls."
"Meantime, Dad has generous visitation but just 'hasn't gotten around to' buying a car seat so he can pick up the baby and for a long time asked my friend, 'Can you drop the girls off at my Mom's?'"
NoBSforGma
Lost it All...
"Recently, I know of a guy that had borrowed all his family’s life savings for the most part to participate in the whole game stop stock thing happening… he lost every penny of his money (credit card advances), and his parents retirement, and every other dime he could get… it makes me sick to even think of it."
Bangbangsmashsmash
Well those are A LOT of bad days. Good luck to all of you.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
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Those who are wealthy have the luxury of acquiring the best of the best–whether it's dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant or status-identifying clothing from Chanel or Yves Saint Laurent.
But even the rich have their limits when it comes to frivolous spending before casting judgment on friends or colleagues.
Curious to hear examples of this, Redditor Sasquatchfl asked:
"Rich people of Reddit, what's the craziest/most unethical thing you've seen people in your circle spend money on?"
Expensive experiences were a priority over prized possessions.
Live Sushi
"An ex worked for Dell in the late 90s/early 2000s. He was pretty high up and there were lots of partiers in his work circle. Went to a party hosted by one of the dellionaires and there was a body sushi girl. I don’t know what was paid to her, but it was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen."
– 5hrs4hrs3hrs2hrs1mor
Pissing Contest
"Paid a group of homeless guys to only use the bathroom on a competitors business. Eventually bought that place for a massive discount."
– Haboobalub
Let's Work Out
"My mother woke up one morning and said she felt she was way too fat and she wanted to get a treadmill. The treadmill wouldn’t be a problem, but then she saw where it would be and didn’t like the lighting. Fast forward 2 months later there’s a 40k outdoor gym built and connected to the house. She hasn’t used it once."
– Herrera5449_
Taking A Leap
"Travelled with a bunch of ex 'friends' all fairly wealthy."
"First trip to SE Asia together and as an ex-local I was a de-facto tour guide (despite not being there in over a decade)"
"They somehow found and offered a bunch of kids diving off cliffs to jump for spare change."
"They increasingly challenged each other to land their coins as close to the cliff base and small surrounding rocks for the kids to dive for."
– Satakans
It's about the finer things in life.
Expensive Party Gag
"A 3k ouija board from Gwen Paltrow's store. I didn't even know it was a thing until the dude brought it out. I really wanted to cut it up and see what it was made from. Looked nice don't get me wrong but the thing is basically a party gag. For 3 grand, it better summon a demon that's all I'm saying."
– con_this
Slow Burn
"$600 USD for a candle."
– Jeffranks
It's not always about the things you acquire.
Minor Inconvenience
"I know a guy who went to get a new drivers license and had to pay ~$100k in back parking tickets, then joked about it after."
"Apparently he couldn't get a permit to park in front of his house, so he just did anyway, and accepted like a $200 fine everyday."
– melodyze
For A Successful Election
"Not me, but I know a guy who crowd funded (read: threw a bunch of money into, then solicited more at a flea market) $80,000 toward his friend's DA election campaign. The guy won. So far, this has paid back at least $120K in avoided legal fees. I know some rich people. Most of them are more boring than you think. Hell, most of them drive Hondas, Toyotas, and Nissans."
– KP_Wrath
The Lance Corporal
"I was stationed with a Lance Corporal who was wealthy beyond means after selling some of his patents. He owned and piloted four helicopters. Lived in a palatial waterfront house in Jacksonville, NC."
"The cheapest one cost 400K. That's the one he trained on. The most expensive was about 1.2 million. That's 1.2 million 1981 dollars. The two he's got now are about 5 million each."
"Had a floating landing pad out back moored to his dock and another landing pad in the back yard. Kept two helicopters and a Rolls inside his custom-built hangar at Norfolk International Airport."
"He drove a pair of Rolls-Royces. He also toyed with a 900K Miami-Vice type speedboat. He also housed and transported his squad to Camp Lejeune and back in a custom mini-bus."
– ApplicationConnect55
The dude was very giving and lived a very clean life. He'd fly us to Norfolk, pickup the car and we'd do our shopping and eating. Hop in a chopper and return home. He'd fly his fire team down to Miami on weekends. He kept a Limo there and wore a chauffer's outfit and did all the driving.
He bought a full-service and licensed pub in Northern Ireland. He lives there with his wife. Does a lot of charity work there. We still keep in touch."
– ApplicationConnect55
When there's plenty of money going around, there's no need to worry about a single thing.
That peace of mind is a luxury in itself.
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When marriages or relationships fall apart, infidelity is not always the cause.
Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor Liam_Tang asked:
"People who've divorced, aside from adultery, what were the irreconcilable differences that ended the marriage?"

You think you know a person when you walk down the aisle.
These Redditors were in for a rude awakening.
Pet Neglect
"My wife divorced her ex for many reasons, but the final straw was when she went out of town for a few days, and when she got back he had not fed or given water to the dog. The dog lived a long and happy life after that."
– StrangeCrimes
Obsessed With A Crush
"Not me, but I had an old coworker that divorced his wife for spending their entire savings on candy crush and games of the same type."
– Hexis40
Compatibility Musts
"ITT: Intimacy (sex/romance), beliefs (religion/spirituality/politics), kids, and I haven’t seen it yet but it’s coming: finances."
"The big four. You REALLY need to discuss these things in detail BEFORE getting married."
– rabbiskittles
Physical violence is a legit reason for people to peace out of a relationship.
The Flattening
"She threatened to hit me with a hammer."
– michaelrohansmith
Hitting The Bottle
"She became an abusive alcoholic. It was sad but I had to get out."
– diegojones4
Emotional pain is too damaging to recover from.
Truth Hurts
"She told me as we stood in front of the judge ending our 7 year marriage, 'I never loved you, I just wanted kids.'"
– Pinch_Dogs
Can't Fix Angry
"She was beautiful/smart but an angry angry person. I thought I could be sweet to her and 'fix' that. Heh. She kicked the crap out of me emotionally. Wife II has been a walk in the roses for 32 years now :)"
– lowlandr
A change of heart is worthless if comes too late.
"We Could've Had A Nice Marriage
"He could not understand that my wants and needs were as important as his wants and needs. We tried to make it work for 7 years. During that time, for things that were really important to me, I tried explaining logically, asking nicely, begging, crying, yelling, passive aggressiveness... cycled back through all of these options multiple times."
"(If I knew something was important to him, I would do that. For example, he was really into sports, so I went to all his events, even though that is not at all my thing.) When I finally threw up my hands and told him it was time to get a divorce, he suddenly panicked and said 'What can I do? Do you want me to do half the chores? I'll do it! Do you want me to get a job? I'll do it! Do you want me to buy you presents for your birthday? I'll do it!'"
"So, in other words, he could have been doing that all along, but just couldn't be bothered. That made me so angry. We could have had a nice marriage that we both enjoyed, but no, by the time he saw the light, that ship had sailed."
"We are both happily remarried now (to different people) and I joke that his new wife owes me a thank you note. It was his experience with me that taught him to listen to her and take her needs seriously."
– Bluebird-True
"What Can I Do?"
"My ex was exactly like this. I didn't marry him but when I told him let's break up, he went all like, what can I do? Let's get engaged, let's look at houses, etc. Basically all the pre-marriage topics that we should be discussing about after being together for 7 years."
"I got so angry and straight up told him it's too late... I don't need you anymore."
– gudetarako
As much as a couple wants to stay together, unforeseen circumstances can eventually tear people apart.
Very few people can maintain healthy long-distance relationships.
When a new job opportunity takes a significant other away, would you begrudge them for wanting a better position to earn more money? Or is it better for them to reluctantly turn down the opportunity so they could stay with you? Do either scenarios breed resentment?
These were questions I've often asked myself with past relationships, and my answers varied depending on the person I was with.
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Childhood can seem like a magical time.
Anything is possible.
But that magic doesn't always make it to adulthood.
Redditor tobybarron16 asked:
"What strange abilities did you have as a child that you have since lost?"
Teleportation
"I could teleport. I fell asleep in the car and woke up in my bed."
- mightaswellgiveup87
Flexibility
"I could bend over without groaning."
- jugularhealer16
"I could put my feet behind my head and walk on my hands. I'll be 40 this year and I pulled a muscle in my neck getting dressed for work this morning."
- ATXKLIPHURD
*yawn*
"I didn't wake up tired."
- N013
Happiness
"I had the ability to be happy."
- TabbsTheBat
Dreams
"Lucid dreaming. I used to have lucid dreams almost every night. As an adult, I have them very rarely, almost never."
-SenorKaboom
Looks
"Attractiveness. I used to be a model as a kid. I did not age well."
- BlahGame
Energy
"I could stay up til 3-4am and be fresh as a daisy in the morning."
"Now, I come home from work or training, wash, eat and I'm passed out by 9ish lmao."
- iJustRollBrrrrr...
"I used to be 100% impervious to cold when I was a kid. I could run out in the snow in my underwear for hours and be just fine."
"Now here I am, where a slightly chilly breeze could freeze me to death."
- DeltaSolana
Entertaining
"I used to be able to entertain myself by doing nothing. For hours and days. Now sometimes I am quite restless doing nothing, not sure where that happened."
- SafeDress9950
What abilities did you lose with age?
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