Today we went to the Brandenburg Gate to scope out the Berlin Marathon Finish Line. So as it was getting to be 14:00 or so and we were hungry, we decided to venture down past the Gate to grab a quick-lunch. In Europe, nothing is quick (90-120 minutes). Boy did I sure learn that lesson the hard way!
As I went up a short flight of stairs I was rudely greeted by a restaurant server. He swung the glass door open with a force like I had never experienced. My body flew through the air. For a split second, I thought, "Don't fall. Don't fall. Whatever you do, don't fall.". I landed gracefully on my right foot...my bum foot. Trembling, I stopped and said a short prayer and thanked God for a near miss instead of a complete disaster.
He didn't stop. He just kept going.
I stood there for what felt like hours in shock. He then whisked by to ask me if I needed "emergency" to come my rescue. "No, I don't need 'emergency'. I need you to watch where you are going. PACE yourself!"
How serendipitous is it this restaurant is just 3k from the finish line. When I fly by it on Sunday, I will smile knowing that a near miss with a rude waiter from Berlin (the only one with a sense of urgency) didn't keep me from my dream.
Have you ever had a near miss? How did you handle it?
