Pain Is A Curious Notion

"LA lights, they don't shine quite as bright as back in Frisco... still wanna go?" 




One theory on pain is that there is only a set amount of it that you will feel in one lifetime. Once you have felt all that you were meant to feel... well, I guess then you don't feel any more pain. (Whatever that means.)

Everyone has a different threshold, feel, description & tolerance for pain. Doctors ask you to describe your pain on a scale of 1-10. But this cannot be accurate; someone's "7" is another persons "4".

This is one reason why I dislike when people ask me if any of my six tattoos hurt. I, personally, adore the feel of a tattoo needle against my skin. However, I cringe and bawl like a baby when I have to get blood drawn. (Nurses cannot understand this.) It's a different kind of "pain".

Perhaps it's intention there. I am willfully putting art onto my body, so the vibration, the needle... all of it... is so very enjoyable to me. But when I am getting blood drawn, that's pretty much against my free will there. Another analogy I can use for it is cutting - I don't feel pain when I intentionally cut my skin, but when I accidentally slice my hand while trying to make a bagel in the morning I curse and jump up and down...

The mind controls pain like it does emotions.

Steven and Laura had been in love for four years. They had the windows down and the car stereo as loud as it would go as they drove his red Pontiac around town. Steven was holding Laura's hand as he turned the corner and a Ford F150 ran a red light and T-boned the car on the passengers side.

When Steven came to he was covered in blood, hands shaking, smoke and dust everywhere from the airbags... but he didn't feel any pain. Not until he looked over and saw that Laura had been killed instantly.

When your body feels an immense amount of pain, it ups your adrenaline & makes it nearly impossible to feel anything. Shock.

However, what can your body to in order to keep your *heart* from feeling pain...? It cannot up your adrenaline to stop you from feeling heartache. I would gladly take the pain of broken bones and ruptured spleens over the crushing weight of some other emotions my body has felt.

I am not merely talking about losing someone that you love or care about...

Love hurts. It's true. (And a damn good song, might I add.) Have you ever watched the one you love walk away with someone else? There is no amount of adrenaline (or Xanax. Or whiskey.) that can make that pain go away. (Or that visual reminder...) What about unrequited love? What does the body do to make that pain disappear?

You know, I used to not really believe in love... not the way that others do. But now I believe if you don't really believe in love - love just hasn't found you yet... but pain? That will always find you.