PACE: A Near Miss in Berlin

 

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!

kt_brandenburg

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?  

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