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Wow! It's great to be alive!

Working as a technology director for a school district, I was running data cables into a conference room through the ceiling.The ceiling was a suspended ceiling with approximately 4 feet of room from ceiling to building roof. On a ladder, with my head (about eye level) inside a removed ceiling tile, I noticed a red clad electrical wire with a bare wire exposed, coming out of a conduit. Apparently it was hot since I was found on my back on the floor, with ceiling tile debris around me, and the fiberglass ladder twisted in the corner.

While unconscious, I recall being on a small boat or raft. I think it was more boat-like because there was a knee high material around the craft, and we were on a gentle (not rocky or wavy - smooth) body of water. It was dark, I assumed it was night - although my accident happened in the evening, it was early summer, so it was still light out - but I don't recall seeing stars or who was piloting/steering the craft. After a short time, I could see I was nearing a shore, with a hill or cliff and a beach (I was close enough to make out waves lapping on the beach). On the hill/cliff was a figure holding a lamp.

Honestly, I know it sounds fake, but I first thought of the Led Zepplin 4 album cover of a robed, bearded guy holding a lamp. Anyway, a female voice was heard saying "we don't need him right now, send him back." That was when the custodian 'woke' me up and informed me I had an accident. It turned out I suffered a double skull fracture, but I stubbornly
refused to go to the hospital. I wanted to go home and see my wife of 8 yrs and our two daughters. I remember very little of the drive home, except turning into the driveway, and seeing my family sitting on the couch with my wife reading to the girls. She was upset that I hadn't called to say that I'd be late for dinner. I told her I felt bad and went directly
to bed.

The next morning, I woke late and was told by my wife that I was vomiting (classic concussion symptoms) and while I was arguing that I was ok, the custodian called to see if I was ok and had gone to the hospital. My wife got a neighbor to watch the girls and took me to a clinic, instead of the ER. Those bozos 'forgot' about me, and my gentle spouse didn't
want to bother anyone, so she patiently waited. It was during this period that I had an out of body experience. I saw her reading a magazine, I listened to conversations, I even saw my body on a gurney with a sheet up to my neck.

At shift change, it was discovered that I was still there - I was supposed to have been rushed to the hospital in an ambulance that morning - I continued to have an out of body
experience in ICU and again in my room. Despite all of these attempts to delay treatment, I have recovered fully with minimal impairment (no photographic memory, loss of smell range, lessening of taste).
Positives from this NDE include:
.Spending more/quality time with my family
.Helping people (shining a light, I call it)
.Embracing opportunities (I've changed jobs 3 times since - resulting in an almost 4x pay increase)
.Helping terminally ill people who are afraid of dying (sharing my story)
Negatives:
.I still don't know what would have happened if I would've got off that boat/raft.
.The darkness aspect has me wondering if I was heading to "Heaven".

Anyway, that's what happened. I'm glad I "wasn't needed" as I've witnessed my girls blossom into beautiful & successful women (scholarships, national championships, state
championships, presidency of a sorority, presidency of the university bar association - different daughters for the presidencies - speaker @ graduation, and a bunch of other
experiences too numerous/mundane to recite, but have enriched my life's experience). I've also seen my relationship with my wife improve, how our lives' goals have meshed and that she has been my best friend, and I think she counts on me as her best friend.

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