My friend John and I were laughing in the gallows style the other day about this one.
John works physically harder than I do but I have a feel for the subject.
We were reflecting about how when one visits a doctor’s office they might be asked what kind of pain they’re feeling at the moment on a scale of 1 to 10. …But what kind of pain *should* they be feeling? We were laughing that we, of course, are always in some kind of pain. I suppose the question is whether we’re feeling good pain or bad pain. But even then we’re always feeling some bad pain, too.
Sure, the rule is “Use it or lose it.” But there’s also a rule that “If you use it you’re gonna hurt it.”
Like workouts: the soreness after that might be called a good pain. Road rash from a bike crash: maybe that’s a bad pain, especially if you’d pulled a bonehead move.
As you do something a lot it eventually hurts. But often we can’t stop then. Or maybe even life itself, if done a lot, hurts.
They say that sports teaches us lessons about life. What is one of the constants of sport? Pain and injury.
Does health mean the lack of pain?
Very often one’s best work or performance can happen in the midst of breakdown in various respects. This or that or the other thing are failing but one realizes that some other capacity is great. So you do what needs to be done.
That doesn’t mean “playing hurt” in every sense: you wouldn’t want to do something that would worsen an injury needlessly. But sometimes there is other pain or baseline pain that can be worked through, pushed past.
Resting up and recovery often doesn’t mean complete repair. All these things are on a continuum. And there might be strengthening even in the midst of various kinds of pain and injury, even sickness.
So my baseline might actually be something like a 3 in a couple different respects most days. But that wouldn’t be why I was visiting the doctor. I guess each kind of pain has its treatment. When one needs a doc, there ya go.
When I was in my early 20’s my peers would occasionally laugh at the sounds I made when I was getting up and down from sitting in a chair. People might sometimes think that aches and pain and joint distress is something for the aged. And that youth is bliss. Ha!
Sure, I might hurt or be in pain but I could keep doing whatever I wanted to for hours or days, maybe even at a high level. Of course “high” is relative — whatever it takes.
Enjoyment doesn’t preclude pain, injury, sickness — does it?
The sounds we make also are not signs of malfunction but of harmony. Isn’t that what karate teaches us? When you go to do something you may make a sound in so doing as part of your chi or energy flow — of staying relaxed while making an effort. No biggie. UGH! UMPH! …OOOOFFDAHHH!!! (This Nordic swearword was obviously invented by the first person to ski really fast to the top of a big hill.)
Also, the pleasure principle isn’t always in effect. Sure, pleasure and pain are different sides of the same coin. And if you strive for the one you invoke the other. But we’re not doing something to get pleasure then counting the pain “against” it. Ideally we do something because it’s worthwhile and whatever measure of pleasure or pain comes as a result, well, there ya have it. …Press on regardless. Sure, you care for and maintain yourself. But this process is relative and always seems to involve a fair bit of pain as background noise. Pain doesn’t mean failure.
Those who stay still and don’t do much and perhaps try to avoid stresses, exertions and the experience of discomfort will, I’m guessing, find it catching up to them anyway. As it happens, will they be prepared? I wonder what’s the best way to train for the inevitable. I’d think that understanding and becoming familiar with pain, loss, damage might be good. But I suppose we’ll all get there soon enough as it is no matter what path we take.
We have a couple friends in their late 80’s now. He’s been an famous artist and top athlete his whole life. She’s been a notorious smoker and boozer. …She’s ahead of him in the health department at present, and along the way she hasn’t had to endure all the injuries and broken bones that he’s gotten himself into, but they’re enjoying their horse-race. So who’s to say.
One thing that concerns me, though, is that due to my high pain tolerance that I might be pushing myself too hard at times. So I have to watch out. But it’s comical otherwise. I just shepherd along all these ailments and recoveries that keep happening along the way. They each have their own meanings and impacts.
