Pain

Urgayle: "Pain is your friend, your ally, it will tell you when you are seriously injured, it will keep you awake and angry, and remind you to finish the job and get the hell home. But you know the best thing about pain?

It let's you know you're not dead"

G.I. Jane (1997)

I saw that movie years ago, loved it, and again a few months ago.  That analogy on pain stuck on my memory, which is something I feel less and less sensitive to everyday. I've dealt with nothing but pain from physical to psychological, yet fight it everyday.  My analogy on pain, is that if you view it as a non-bad thing, it builds character on reacting to initial emotional responses, hence makes a person less sensitive.  Changing your perspective on pain sustains and fortifies you. Like the quote above, unless you're bleeding heavily or have a limb mangled up, then that's not good pain, because then you are physically injured. It tells you to stop, rest, get aide!  Your body tells you the level you can handle.  But the pain that doesn't do that and you can recover from does make you stronger.  Psychologically, it will take you away from being humanly normal, how far it takes you and how far it will take you to come back is another question.  I always like to forgive but believe forgetting is stupid.

You can respect another person more when you not only can see yourself in their position but nothing like going through their ordeal to show empathy or understanding.  The other day, I went paintballing again and it hurt but not from getting hit with paintballs.  What hurt was running around for a few hours with all that gear carrying a gun with a tank and accessories weighing around ten to twelve pounds.  Yes I got some good kills in but also got shot up when I notice my muscles aren't as flexible as they used to be.  This little teenager was moving fast and without agile restraint.  I guess that's why the military recruit from High School.  When they say show love for the troops, I can definitely understand that because I felt a tiny experience of the roughness they go through.  As I was entering the field ready for paint flying at about 260 feet per second combat, I was imagining what it felt like to be a soldier in the military.  They have to wear all that gear, the mask blocks vision and clear focus but they need to wear it because it protects them.  Those soldiers have to aim properly, be fit and make sure they evade those bullets, because it's not paint hitting them, it's a one time end game hitting them.  It's not easy hiding behind something because even hiding behind something the opposite team advances, repositions themselves or can outflank your team.  I must have gotten shot in the head again this game, taste that bitter paint and have a few brown marks to show in the leg and ribs.  At least it wasn't as bad as last time.  Boot camp and staying tough is important to a soldier, hence why drill sergeants aren't lenient, soldiers have to be use to the pain, otherwise they will lose composure under extreme or hostile circumstances, painful circumstances.