The John Shue Story: Returning from the Darkness

The John Shue Story: Returning from the Darkness

The following is a true story...

It all began one dark and sultry summer night... A night much like this one... Only 5 years ago. July 13th 2004... I was asleep like usual, when I had received a phone call from a friend of mine. He was adamant that I get myself out of bed, and come over his place. It was a little before 12:00 midnight. I was tired and really didn't feel like taking any BS but tonight the tone of his voice sounded different, like he wasn't joking around. "Come on John, get out of bed, and come over NOW." he said, almost sounding frantic. Later, much later, in fact, I never realized that those words would have saved my life.

Begrudgingly, I got out of bed, got dressed and started over to his place. The streets were deserted at that hour and I had decided to make a pit stop at the store before going to his place. I pulled into the parking lot of the Safeway on Arden way -- and then NOTHING. You see- I had collapsed then... heading towards the soft drink aisle in the supermarket. I don't remember ANYTHING after that. It seemed as if everything had ceased to exist. There was a span of time missing for about 30 minutes or so it seemed. The store clerks frantically called 911 to report that a customer had collapsed in the store. The ambulance came and rushed me to the Kaiser Hospital on Morse Avenue, a short two blocks away... Another fortunate happenstance....

And then, I remember it. Seeing them wheel me into the hospital emergency triage unit. The doctors... The Emergency Medical Techs frantically working to save my life. I could see everything - only it wasn't me. It was like seeing ME but from another angel. I was far away- yet present and able to hear everything they were saying to me. One of the EMT's even said "Don t leave us John- we need you here" I saw them moving me over to the emergency examining table and them telling me that they were going to move me over... and i said "OK- but I'm right here." Thats when it ended- and I woke up several hours later already in the ICU of Mercy Hospital. I was fortunate that I collapsed when and where I did- for you see, a valve in my heart gave out and I had to have a valve in my heart replaced. The same condition that took the life of John Ritter. Only HE wasn't so fortunate.

Looking back, I realized now that the reason that I hadn't remembered what had happened was that there was nothing TO remember. I was already in the void. Complete and UTTERLY nothing. My mind was separated from my body and yet I still was a conscious being. Only I was alone. Was this hell? I felt so alone and isolated. Then I heard a voice telling me- "No- its not your time." Thats when I saw this world coming back into focus, only through a milky white veil. I had truly come from the darkness back to life.

Has my outlook on life changed since then? You bet... I now see the glass "Half Full" instead of "Half Empty." I know now that there IS life after death... we continue on.. The body that we currently occupy is just a shell. A tool for us to use for our spiritual being we call our souls. There is a passage in the Bible- From Psalms... It reads " For I know the plans I have for you- not to harm you but to make you prosperous.." I truly believe that I came back because He wasn't finished with me...

This story is brought to you in courtesy of Paul Dale Roberts, HPI General Manager - www.hpiparanormal.net