piano4te
Dayton, Ohio USA
Posted: Apr 7, 2008, 5:51 PM CST
Ten years ago, I gave a call to a friend to help me produce a demo video. We had been friends for a long time, and had worked on a lot of projects together.
We were originally supposed to meet on a Wednesday, but he wound up having to do some last minute shooting for a project, so we opted for the following day.
When I arrived on Thursday, we started chit chatting for awhile, catching up on life, as we had not seen each other in a couple of years due to my traveling with my job. While we were talking, he mentioned that he had not been feeling well for the last couple of weeks. He thought he had a flu or a virus.
We finally started getting to work, looking at various cuts and scenes on the monitors at the editing desk. We were sitting in the big type rolling desk chairs, which leaned back slightly.
While looking at a shot, John said, "you know what might go really good here?.............whoo......I just had a flash."
While still looking at the screen, I waited to hear what his big 'flash' of an idea was. Only, he didn't say anything for what seemed like an eternity.
I turned to look at him, and noticed that he was rather motionless. The cigarette he has in his hand was actually starting to burn down to the knuckle. He then slowly turned his head to me, but could not speak. He started going into a convulsion, and falling back in his chair.
I got up as fast as I could, reaching to hold him up, while at the same time reaching for the phone that had been sitting on top of the editing desk. While holding him up, I dialed 911. I explained to the operator that I had a man convulsing, not knowing if he was epileptic or not, and to please send an ambulance.
I then hung up the phone and called out to him to see if he could hear me or respond. He stopped convulsing for about five seconds and turned to try and look at me.
He then went into a final and more violent bout. His face got beet red...his chest was pounding through his shirt....I could feel his fast pulse while holding his arms. His eyes started to bleed a bit.
He then took in a final gasp and let out a very long last breath.
I pulled him down off the chair, onto the floor and started administering CPR till the ambulance came about five minutes later.
When the paramedics arrived, I stepped away to let them work on him. They defibbed him three times, but he never came to. They then put a sheet over him, put him on a gurney, and then put him in the ambulance.
From his last words to his last breath, though seeming like and eternity, probably only lasted a minute or so - literally HERE one minute - gone the next.
He had a major cerebral aneurysm..... just like that. That 'flash' he saw turned out to be his brain exploding...The blood just started pouring out of his vein in his brain....thus the bleeding eyes.
Just after the ambulance had left, I had the unnerving task of having to go through his personal records to find a next of kin to tell them what happened. I managed to get his parents phone number. Can you imagine having to call somebody right then and there and tell them that their son had passed away??
I've witnessed death quite a few times in my life. But this particular incident had the biggest and most profound effect on me ever since. It made me start to look at people who carry on over mindless crap, and people who treat other people, particularly in relationships, like they have no value, in a new way. Basically.......I have NO tolerance anymore for people who take life and people for granted. I don't tolerate even the most simple of 'whining' I hear......because you CAN be gone 'just like that'. And, truth be told, I find that people who love to put 'life is short' in their profiles to be somewhat annoying. I wonder if they TRULY know how short it really is.
I wish people would get OVER themselves..