“Maybe I would have died, too, if I stayed.”

"It was at a party, I was tired, and the offer of not walking 5 km (something around 3 miles) was tempting. But there was this friend I had not seen for a long time, so I decided to stick to the party and rather not go to school the next day. One of the smartest decisions ever."

"If I had decided to go, life might be very different for us right now, or we might not even be here. Before this and since then, there was/is zero crime in that town, so it was especially out of the ordinary for something like that to happen there. I found out later that the shooter went to my high school, was my age, lived a few blocks from me, and was in my gym class. It was a horrible time for so many people and my community, and I’m grateful we slept in that day."

"At the age of 37, I lost everything to post-viral disability. My career, dreams, and financial stability were gone in an instant. I went from climbing mountains to being unable to make it up a single flight of stairs, and because I was suffering in real time with a disease medical professionals had no idea how to treat, I ended up with thousands in debt on top of it all. 

Six years later, I’m trying to navigate this new normal and figure out who I am within the limitations of my ability. It’s irrational, but I can’t help but wonder if that tornado was a sign to stay home. I could have caught it anytime and anywhere, but that trip changed my life regardless."

"As it turned out, I didn’t hate sports; I hated school PE. That 'Yeah, sure, let’s go' changed my whole life. I found my people, I found my community. I’ve experienced such camaraderie as I’ve never experienced before."

"As I got through the first door, the only fear was dropping my keys as I could see him running toward the door. With my heart pounding, I managed to get through the second door that only a master key could open, but he got inside. He stared at me, angry. He pulled at the door, screamed at me, then pounded heavily on that glass I thought would break. I could not look at him, so I got in the elevator and pressed every button until I reached the top floor, then walked down the stairs to get home. The next few days after that kept my head on a swivel, and my family never knew about it. This was the '90s on the East Coast."

Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.