On Getting Unstuck

This morning I nearly got stuck in a crawl space under a large cabin.  The homeowners were home so my life was never in danger. But explain that to my adrenaline system. The owners would have missed me eventually and would have found a way to help me I'm sure.  But still I was in a very tight and very uncomfortable situation.

I was in the very back corner of a rather large crawl space when it happened. I'm not terribly claustrophobic, but the deeper I go into a crawl space the more claustrophobic I get.  It's just the further I crawl the more plumbing, duct work and other obstructions there are between me and the crawl door. I keep a mental inventory about what's behind me.  I was as far back as I could get.  My only light, of course, was my flashlight.

I was on my stomach at this point. To continue my inspection of the space, it looked like I was going to be able to crawl under some duct work.  However, I had to crawl over some plumbing to get there. The plumbing was too low to crawl under it so I had to go over it. The plumbing and the duct work were only about three feet apart.  I managed to get one leg over the plumbing and then hoist the other one over without tearing something up.  Now I was in an extremely tight squeeze between the plumbing and the duct work.  It was not somewhere I wanted to stay very long.

I laid back down and started crawling under the duct work. I realized too late  that it was too low for me to crawl under.  There was no way I could get under it without getting stuck.There was no room for me to turn around and I didn't see how I could crawl backwards over the plumbing that was very difficult to navigate going forward.  At least not without damaging the house. There was duct work in front of me as well. So I was stuck.  Or at least it felt like I was.

Panic started creeping up my spine and my breathing became very labored. I had been in many tight places, but never anything like this.  I had no point of reference for my dilemma.  Knowing that panic would not serve me well, I knew that I had to calm down.  I got very still and slowed my breathing.  I just breathed in and out slowly getting my whits about me.  After I got my breathing more under control, I took my flashlight and assessed my situation.  I confirmed that I couldn't go under the duct work and that there was no good way to go back over the plumbing.  Then I noticed that the large duct work in front of me was of the flexible variety.  It was almost on the ground,  but it was flexible. That appeared to be the only way out.

I wasn't too happy crawling under something that low to the ground, but I didn't feel like I had another option. Staying where I was certainly wasn't an option. I pushed my head under the duct and pushing with my toes I pushed my shoulders through, my back through and then I was clear.

Yes there are lessons to be learned about navigating  crawl spaces, but I think there are life lessons to be learned as well.

On getting unstuck--physically and emotionally:
1.Sit still--just stop moving. Stop doing anything. Just be completely still.
2.Slow your breathing--Take slow, deep breaths. Don't take fast deep breaths or you could hyperventilate.  Real slow. Real easy. Real slow. Real easy. Real slow. Real easy. That's it. Slowly.
3. Assess your situation--Take an inventory of your options. Eliminate as many as possible.
4. Decide your best option--Of all the options available, choose one.
5. Move in that direction--Now is when you move. Important: notice you have not moved until now. So go.

Most of us never venture into a crawl space, but all of us get stuck from time to time.  Getting stuck is easy. Getting unstuck takes some effort.