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Thread: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

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    Madagascar Avalon Member Star Gazer's Avatar
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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    Hope you put all of this down in a book someday, Bill. Good stuff.

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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    Quote Posted by Noble Hops (here)
    Thanks to Bill (and Richard) for sharing these very personal stories lately. I wish I had one as moving off the top of my head.

    Bill, I know you're an Englishman, but you look very Scottish in that old B&W photo you posted. Am I right?
    Ryan is an Irish name, so I would suspect that you are close, but you got the wrong branch of the tree.

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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    I am astounded by this story, that Dave slid off the rope and caught himself by his fingertips, while climbing a cliff face in the dark.

    I am really astounded by this story, that Bill could rescue Dave, with the seconds ticking away, while climbing a cliff face in the dark.

    Most of all, I am utterly astounded by this story, that these two fools are climbing a cliff face in the dark! Without even a spare lamp!!

    Don't ever let me catch you doing that again!

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    Canada Avalon Member sandy's Avatar
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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    Beautiful Sharing Bill, Belle, Charlie and Everyone,

    Makes me think that sometimes when we can't seem to save ourselves and we reach out to others who need our help, we in essence begin the process of saving ourselves and humanity!
    Love and Light Always/Sandy

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    Canada Avalon Member Sir Eltor's Avatar
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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    LOl burnt my pizza pie in the oven. Twas tractor- beamed to the page, but who cares? That was intenselly , insightfully , beautiful . Oh ya and RAD!!! thanks a heap. Thank a You.

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    United States Avalon Member damian's Avatar
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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    I would like to share a life changing experience. Do you remember the movie "City Slickers" when they talk about what was the best day of their life and what was the worst? My best day and my worst day turned out to happen all at once. I had just turned twenty-five and was working for my family's waste paper and commercial refuse company in Baltimore, Maryland. I was waiting for the last truck to come in so that I could go home. Four men entered the front office and asked if we were still open. I knew immediately that something was not right as one of the men had a long coat on and kept his back to me. They asked if I was the owner's son and I replied yes. At this point the man with his back to me pulled a gun from the coat pocket as the the man closest to me reached up and spun me against the wall. My pants pocket was ripped open as they searched me for money. I was marched into the back offices as they ransacked desks and offices. Instead of feeling fear I was angry. Angry that I was being violated, angry that my space had been invaded. It had not dawned on me that I might be in danger, life threatening danger. After the robbers finished taking any and everything of value that they could find, I was pushed into a middle office and made to sit at a desk which they couldn't open. I was told to open the desk drawer but I didn't have the key. Using the adrenalin coursing through my body, I ripped open the drawer. After they emptied the contents, three of the robbers walked out toward the front leaving just me sitting in the chair and the guy with the gun. Needless to say my anger had been replaced with terror. I felt the gun at the back of my head and a sixth sense told me to move my head as I heard a loud explosion behind my right ear. I felt the bullet enter my back and travel through me down toward my abdomen. I looked down for a hole from the exit wound but there wasn't any and no blood. I was confused. The bullet had entered my right shoulder, shattering it, passed through my lung, broke my rib, nicked my esophagus and just missed my aorta and stopped behind my diaphragm. My body had immediately gone onto shock and while I was acutely aware of what just happened nothing hurt, yet. I looked up as the gunman paused and looked back at me. I slumped down in the chair and he kept moving out the door. I picked up the phone and called the operator and asked for a priest and an ambulance, in that order.

    On the way to the hospital I made a deal with the "big guy"( or woman or great spirit ) that if I lived I would not hate or seek revenge on my assailants. I received last rites two times and it was touch and go for several days. Three weeks later I was picking three out of the four assailants out of a line up. They received 10 to 20 years for attempted murder and armed robbery. Six months after the trial, I received a call that one of the defendants had been granted a mistrial on a technicality. I said that I would testify if I could speak with the judge before the trial began. I told the judge that as the victim, I preferred to let him go. The judge said no and we started the trial. Twenty minutes into the trial the judge asked the defendant to stand. He pointed to me and said that I had requested his release instead of sending him back to prison and he was releasing him.

    Getting shot was a terrible experience. Learning to forgive someone who had tried to kill you was a life changing lesson that has served me well over the last 30 years. Definitely the best and worst day of my life. I believe that we are given opportunities learn "life lessons" from the things that happen to us as we go through this life experience. I feel blessed to have gotten this one right.

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    United States Avalon Member Charlie Pecos's Avatar
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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    Hi Damian,

    Wow! A lucky escape for you young man! Your story is a powerfull lesson of forgiveness.

    What we hold against others, we hold against ourselves.

    What we release others from, we release ourselves from.

    That is where our emancipation as a civilization lies: forgiving each other for mistakes- big and small.

    Thank you for sharing.
    There is no good and there is no bad, all are experience and experience is everything.
    In truth, there is only ONE of us.

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    Thumbs up Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    Great story Bill, its always amazing hearing these real life stories, it is the stuff that makes one appreciate every moment in life there after

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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    Hello, Bill:
    Thank for sharing another interesting post. Here is waht i think:

    Guilt is one of the heaviest burdens that traditional morality has put on our shoulders. Now we can let it go because we don't need it anymore: we no longer need to be terryfied in order to survive. Guilt is fear for our own dark side... and we are always afraid of what we ignore. But if I have learned anything during my life, it is that selfawareness requires us to be brave.

    I noticed that once you overcame your guilt, you felt brave enough to reveal the secret. But your true self was brave much before, you just didn't see that you actually SAVED HIS LIFE!

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    United States Avalon Member Darla Ken Pearce's Avatar
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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    You are an incredibly beautiful person with a wonderful spirit. Thank you for sharing your story. I loved reading every sentence and breath of it ; ) xoxox

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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    That's really nice Bill, thanks for sharing - and everyone else too, I have been reading! Maybe I'll share something more personal with my Avalon friends in the future, but the stories that currently leap to mind are not ones I'm ready to share!

    I hope everyone enjoys their day

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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    Bill: gripping tale ('scuse the pun) the fact of the matter is this; you simply considered your options (although somewhat limited) and that Dave would have likely died as a result, meant that for you, this was not an option. My point being, you hadn't actually considered leaving him to his fate as an option, just an outcome. I wonder, was Dave's reply to you in Scotland an indication of how he may have reacted, had the roles been reversed? Hold that thought. As I would put it to you, that the only answer to that question is that he would have done likewise; - otherwise you would have never have been climbing buddies in the first place. You both chose wisely...

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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    although i do not know the poeple involved, this story will stay with me and have a profound impact on my life!

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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    Belle and Charlie Pecos...
    I know how it feels ....the societies we live in have unfortunately increased in many of us these feelings of not being good enough, not wanted, not appreciated, not this and that.
    It is really painful to try to overcome these conditioning, but if you could step out of that box, were we have fallen, and contemplate yourself from your essence, then you would see the beauty and perfection that YOU ARE...see the conditioning as a suit that you´ve been told it is who you are, and simply take it off, drop it down...it is not you.
    You are as glorious and gorgious and amazing as anyone else here and there and everywhere...
    We just need to start living what we already are....
    much love to you both and thank you Bill for this amazing experience and how it allows Spirit to accept and embrace humanness
    Barbara

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    United States Avalon Member jjl's Avatar
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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    OK, I've got one, when I was 18 I bought a shiny new moped instead of a car, I thought I was a hot shot. I drove it to a community college daily in a town away from the one I lived. At one point traveling over a bridge, a big stinky truck cut me off, puking buckets of black smoke in my face. I was already having a bad day that morning. When the traffic came to a stop light, having no motorcycle safety training, I pulled up between the cars and what luck, pulled up to the slob that cut me off. He looked at me and rolled down his window, "Do you know how dangerous it is to creep between cars like that?" He bellowed. "Someone could open a door or even just throw a cigarette on you," he continued to holler.

    I looked at him with complete contempt and said"F*** you".
    He called me a little Sh** and the light turned green and he drove off, as I screamed "Fix your F***ing muffler!"
    I continued to navigate my way down the main street of the small city, but there was a lump of hate in my throat. I didn't like it and tried to justify it away, but I couldn't. "Your Fault" I told myself as I headed toward my school. About halfway there, I saw the same truck, turning around on a street headed back my way. I followed him till he slowed down. I pulled up to his rolled up window. "I'm sorry, " I told him. "I'm having a very bad day, and I took it out on you. And I thank you for your advice."
    "I was just turning around when I realized you were the same bike I cut off on the bridge. I'm sorry I was so rude, my muffler just broke off this morning and I was daydreaming how to fix it.
    In those days, strangers didn't hug but we were both moved when we bid good by.
    Flash forward a month. As a dumb girl I had a bad habit of turning up at places I didn't belong. I was in a sleazy bar by myself, (again with my moped, at night) when I was coming upstairs from the downstairs dance floor. A creepy guy blocked my way and for I realized I was defenseless. Just then I felt a second person approach me and I stiffened as he through his arm around me, "Back down Rudy, she's with me."
    I turned my head to see none other than the same muffler-less truck driver! When he found out I was on my moped, he insisted on putting it in his truck and bringing me home. He lectured me on bike safety all the way, believe it or not, I never got his name.

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    Scotland Avalon Member mrmalco's Avatar
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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    An example of a mistake ... excuse the fact its in verse, I wrote it up that way a few years go.


    THe Three Sikhs

    Three Sikhs chased me
    once in Delhi.
    The first, a scooter cabbie
    I’d just paid
    - and tipped –
    but miserly it seemed.

    He started shouting,
    running after me.
    Two others joined him.
    How embarrassing!

    I scuttled up the hotel stairs …
    into my room …
    furtive, breathless …
    safe however
    – so I hoped.

    But it was not to be!
    The manager came knocking on my door
    “Stewart Sahib - Stewart Sahib
    please come downstairs immediately.”

    I slouched into Reception
    … rummaging my sweaty pockets …
    grudging to increase that tip.

    The three Sikhs thereupon,
    in all solemnity
    entrusted me my passport,
    travellers’ cheques
    and money.
    I’d dropped them in the cab.

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    United States Avalon Member Cottage Rose's Avatar
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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    Quote Posted by Chicodoodoo (here)
    I am astounded by this story, that Dave slid off the rope and caught himself by his fingertips, while climbing a cliff face in the dark.

    I am really astounded by this story, that Bill could rescue Dave, with the seconds ticking away, while climbing a cliff face in the dark.

    Most of all, I am utterly astounded by this story, that these two fools are climbing a cliff face in the dark! Without even a spare lamp!!

    Don't ever let me catch you doing that again!
    hehehehehe I'm glad someone's mentioning that! Quite the daredevils weren't they? I was on the edge of my chair.........!!!!!!!!!

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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    * deleted *
    Last edited by enoch; 21st February 2011 at 21:58.

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    Germany Avalon Member Reinhard's Avatar
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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    Thank you Bill for sharing! .....Yes, that's what it's all about!
    Reinhard
    The very moment the caterpillar thought the world would end, it turned into a butterfly.
    Laotse

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    Default Re: A day in the mountains: a tale of forgiveness

    Courage and forgiveness seem to be such rare qualities in our world these days. I thank you for sharing this and I'm glad you're still here with us to remind us what it means to go through the experience of being human.

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