Scenarios: .. 1...2...3..... What Would You Do ?

1) What do you do?

A boy, 12 years old, picking up bales of hay to load on a trailer got struck on the right arm with a copperhead snake.

True story

A boy was helping on a farm in Missouri, picking up small bales of hay and placing the bales on a trailer, pulled by a tractor. He was not actually paying too much attention to what was on or around the bale of hay, but just grabbing the twine that was holding the hay bale together. As he reached for a bale, a copperhead snake that was laying on the bale stuck the boy's right arm. The fangs actually penetrated the skin and the boy let out a scream, alarming everyone around him that something had happen.

Another true story:

Some of those reading this are thinking, " I don't have a farm and I sure won't be on any farm in my life time. Another true story comes to mind. In Spartanburg, S.C. Back a number of years, there was a store that was an extreme discount box store that had low priced items because they could buy it cheap from other countries.

This would be the least likely for a snakebite of a poisonous type, but for some unlucky people, this was the place. The merchandise was bought from overseas and while the employees were unpacking the merchandise, some were bitten with baby cobras. The official report stated that the mother snake found a terrific nesting place in the packing that the merchandise was packed. The hospital and medical personal were dumbfounded and perplexed. The mother snake was not found.

With the quick actions and know how of the people involved, these people survived and with little or no serious complications. What you do if YOU were bitten with a poisonous snake?

SCENARIO 2... WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Elderly woman, 88 years old, taking a bath in a bath tub, became lifeless

and is slipping down in the tub, which is filled with water. If you leave to

get the phone to dial 911, her head would be submerged and possibly drown.

In this scenario, how would you handle yourself and the situation?

If this is your Mother, your relative or someone else, passing out in the tub can be a hair-raising experience. The body is slippery, limp and almost impossible to hold on to and keeping their head above the water might be challenging.

Bathtubs, spas, boats, lakes, swimming pools and wading pools can be hazards to the elderly, the medically dependent, handicapped and the very young. Only a small amount of water in the lungs can cause serious breathing difficulties and potential death..

Sometimes, the decisions that you make can make the difference of life and death. Planning, knowledge, wisdom and training can take the panic and worry out of desperate and dangerous situations. Knowing when, where, how, how much and using some common sense can eliminate potentially deadly situations.

True story:

My sister was keeping my Mom, who was 88 years old, for a while because of failing medical problems. My sister put my Mother in the tub, then when the time for her to get out, my Mother could not muster the strength to get out of the tub. Both my mother and sister were getting weaker with their struggles. My Mom had not passed out, which was a good thing because she still had the ability to stay above the water, but she could have passed out at any time. My sister finally told my Mother that she had to call 911 and the "guys" would have to pull her out. Well, sometimes the power of embarrassment has a lot of power to do the impossible. My mother came out of the tub with NO problem. "WHEN THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY!!!!!"

3) What do you do?

You stop at a stop sign at night. A person rams you from behind with his vehicle,

doing damage. You and the driver of the other vehicle get out to view the damage

and they pull a gun on you, demanding you get into their vehicle.

Accidents happen all the time, but when the accident happens at night, in an environment that is a dark out of the way place and on a desolated road, the stakes get higher. There are some questions that should raise red flags. Why were you hit? Why get out of the car? Why not call the police first and let them come to the scene first? With the dangers existing with so many people creating crimes, including rape, sodomy, kid-napping, robbery and mugging, why put yourself in a more dangerous situation? Is getting killed more important than a couple of thousand dollars in damages for the vehicle?

So, in this scenario number 3, what would you do?

For any scenario that takes place, preparedness, knowledge and skills help to give the correct decisions, direction and detection of the pending circumstances. If you want to stay healthy and alive, the best way to do this is to stay out of situations that would put you in danger, but... but, sometimes events, situations and accidents happen. Knowing what to do, how to respond, being prepared to handle situations in a calm manner with the skills necessary to overcome the opposing threat are positives in your favor. Learn, gain knowledge, increase your skills and prepare.