WWW.AKA-KARMA.COM

Anonymously known as - Karma

          I was six or seven years old when a camping trip took a frightening turn. The adults were grilling, cooking, laughing. Other kids wandered off together, or stayed in their tents with their gameboys. Me? I wandered off alone. When it was time to eat - everyone come from their plates.. except for me. I was too young to be wandering off in the first place, you know? I guess it was assumed I was like my siblings and stayed tent bound.. but I had this issue for a long time - wandering off alone. The first time I did it was I was just over two years old, and we were stationed in Japan. I imagine that was quite a day for my family - that didn't even know I was capable of walking with out someone guiding me, hand-in-hand, as they usually still did.. but that's log for another time.
          Everyone quickly became frantic, and scattered in search of me. My name echoed through the forest, it was as if the trees called for the police. An "I found her!" gave out this false relief, when "Ambulance! She needs an ambulance!" campers running towards a family friend's voice. Then - there I was. My bouncy, curly hair - drenched. My once golden, tanned skin - now "white as a ghost" - as my Ma would tell you. Jean overalls and a Winnie the Pooh t-shirt, also drenched. My Dad's best friend kneeled in the dirt, next to my lifeless body, pressing on my chest, counting, plugging my nose, trying to breathe life back into me - but, it seemed I was gone. Which, I suppose I was. He had to chase me down river before jumping in to be able to catch me, as the current was dragging me away, face down.
         When it comes to drowning, there's a window between your body losing color and death. There's five stages in the cycle of drowning - first, you naturally hold your breath. But fight or flight mode turns on when you need it, even if there is none, so you inhale. Water gets into the lungs, you lose consciousness, breathing stops, and the heart slows.. which is where your body starts to seem like it's losing its color. Blood stops circulating when the heart stops. Or blood flow is what keeps us a vibrant sort of "alive and breathing" color. Then, if not revived, the lack of oxygen to the break and other organs can cause irreversible damage, and ultimately - death. 


         "Why are you here?"
            "I don't know."
         "I mean - why did you decide to come here?"
            "I didn't really think about it - I even forgot my Ducky. Can you tell my Dad to bring it?"
         "You want your Dad to come here too?"
            "He'll bring him."
           "Actually - he can't make it. You'll have to go back for it, if - "
         "Will everyone be mad at me?"
            "Why would they?"
          "Because I jumped." 

She's breathing!

- C.Spurgeons

Th