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I clearly remember that incident in childhood. One summer, I had gone swimming with a few friends in a deep stream. All of my friends were very good at swimming except me. Blind courage took me to the deepest part of the stream, but my poor swimming skill would drown me soon.
As I entered the big pool of water, I got scared and started to panic. I tried frantically to come out, but I couldn't. My hands and legs were moving, but I could not stay above the water. I felt like the water was swallowing me. Breathing became extremely difficult. Fortunately, one of my friends noticed me. He and a few others rescued me, and I came out of the mouth of death. I had gotten a new life.
Many people during their lifetime encounter death several times. Some meet severe accidents, some might have to battle with wild animals or even domestic animals, some suffer from dreadful diseases like a heart attack, while some fall from great heights like trees.
During the decade-long Maoist insurgency, several people had a brush with death. At the time of the earthquake in 2015 also, many had a close encounter with death when they realised that the earth under thier feet was shaking violently.
Luck, effort and timing all play a vital role in staying safe from an encounter with death. Death is so terrible that it is dreadful even when one just imagines it. All people fear death. People will do anything to stay alive and keep death away.
Death is a confirmed reality for everybody. If death is natural, it is acceptable; but if one dies an untimely or unnatural death, it is most unfortunate one and the families of the dead are in shell shock and it takes a long period of time to deal it.
Death creates terror in the hearts of family, friends and relatives.
They are devastated when the divine power decides that one's end has come.
To stay safe from untimely death, one requires some vital skills. For instance, one should learn how to swim before going swimming or have good knowledge of driving a vehicle before driving. One should understand one's capability through insight or suggestions and advice from well-wishers and take the risk accordingly. A little knowledge is dangerous. Therefore, one should gain adequate knowledge and experience in a particular field and only do that work in which one is capable.
Over confidence can be harmful and painful. Performing any task is a challenge, and a person should be prepared for any eventuality.
One shouldn't imitate others without knowing one's capability.
Making an attempt to perform a new task is good, but for that patience, skill and alertness are necessary.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 19, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
