Today, I tried out the “body parboiling” my friend advised as a relaxing treat.
You start from warm water, slowly swing the tap to cold water and then slowly swing back to as hot as you can bear.
Swinging cold seemed like quite a feat, with my breathing getting faster and my heart beating faster. But nothing can prepare you for the swing to hot.
I had to dive out of the shower at a point. I couldn’t believe my hands were ready to fully boil the rest of my body.
Shared the experience with my friend and we had a good laugh. Definitely not trying this again.
I am thankful for crazy experiments that teach lessons and mold stories.
Day: March 6, 2021
Pain
Pain is complex and personal.
No matter how much you learn about it, you can never understand it.
No matter how well you prepare for it, you are not guaranteed an easy pass.
No matter how many times you experience it, each experience is unique.
Nothing ever makes us used to pain. Nothing. Physically or emotionally. When it comes, it hurts.
It is easier to speak about it, than to live it.
Different people handle it in different ways. Do not judge them, for even if you are experiencing the same circumstances, you cannot experience pain the same way. It is deeply personal.
Pain leaves a scar – seen or unseen. Scars are characterised by distortion and hardening. Many people walk with invisible large scars. Their behaviours are seen as disruptive and inflexible. I have learnt to kindly probe for the pain behind the scars I see.
I have also dealt with pain, still dealing with many, and I carry more scars than I can tell.
Pain is complex, personal and real. We carry it in unique ways. Instead of proposing better ways to carry it, empathise.
– Osasu Oviawe