Redefining Rockel

You know I never discuss female thermodynamics - Lou; Rescue Me

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The WORD of the Week

Matthew 3:7-10

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Stupid Fact of the Week

There was only one civilian casualty during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg

16 December, 2005

Return To The Pain

Well... busy weekend for me coming up... Buies Creek, Christmas Carol, Sisser, Doyle... so, I leave you with the following post, which is the much-afterthought (as in much after, not much thought) of this.

It is interesting to think on emotional pain in the context - or perhaps, the phrasing - in which people speak of it. More often than not it is spoken of in terms of physical pain or injury: "heart ache," as ones head, bone, or muscle might; "burned by love," as though a hot brand or other such item had seared ones flesh; "broken heart/shattered emotions," as a bone may shatter, crippling a person; so forth; so on.

It is interesting to look at emotional pain in such terms; interesting, but not surprising. The human mind, like a distant lover, is able to comprehend on its own, and to a point, abstract feelings and emotions such as love, pain, and hope, but beyond the immediate and superficial comprehension, and as time elapses, it craves something concrete, something solid that it can see, hear, touch, and experience "first hand," as if, by examining something in closer proximity to the five senses one is better able to identify with his/her bewildering situation and thereby understand.

Having said that, I would like to attempt to gain a deeper understanding of emotional pain by examining a physical injury. For the purposes of this examination, we shall consider a laceration. Not a paper cut, but neither an amputation. A good, solid laceration.

The skin is broken by a sharp object, and part of the bodies protective hull, if you will, is breached. It is here that what we recognize as pain, an intensely uncomfortable feeling, first occurs.

Blood, the liquid life force, begins to flow out of the wound. If left unattended, it will continue to drain life from the victim, however, if met head-on with force, it is powerless and will do the only thing it can when left nowhere to go: clot.

Once the situation is successfully stabilized, there remains a tender wound. If dressed properly with a sterile bandage the wound remains clean and uninfected. If neglected, and if one is careless with what comes into contact with the vulnerable area, the wound easily becomes infected, which results in a sharpening of the painful sensation along with the possibility of spreading an infection to the remainder of the body.

Even if well taken care of, pain can continue to be present and even quite severe, if the wounded area is aggravated at all, by means of bumping into an object, placing too much strain on the part of the body that contains the wound, or some such event.

As the healing process continues, it is important to allow the wounded area to breath; to remove the bandage so that the skin is not depleted of oxygen. Again, here it is especially important to be mindful of cleanliness.

Ointments and treatments, such as Neosporin, can both help to maintain a clean environment for healing as well as assist the body in the healing process.

When the healing process is complete, the integrity of the protective hull is restored, and a scar remains, a reminder of that which caused the body harm.

So... my advice for those dealing with emotional pain? Be sure to stock up on Neosporin, not novocaine, for the soul.

posted by Rockel @ 12:48 PM

1 Comments:

At 17/12/05 2:37 PM, Anonymous said…

i don't like to feel, but i guess i have to in order to heal... neosporin, not novocaine. thanks for reminding me, matt.

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Lyrics of the Week

ON THE NICKEL
by Tom Waits

("I'd like to do a new song here. This is eh, it's about downtown Los Angeles on 5th Street. And eh all the winos affectionately refer to it as The Nickel. So this is kind of a hobo's lullaby.")

sticks and stones will break my bones,
but i always will be true, and when
your mama is dead and gone,
i'll sing this lullabye just for you,
and what becomes of all the little boys,
who never comb their hair,
well they're lined up all around the block,
on the nickel over there.

so you better bring a bucket,
there is a hole in the pail,
and if you don't get my letter,
then you'll know that i'm in jail,
and what becomes of all the little boys,
who never say their prayers,
well they're sleepin' like a baby,
on the nickel over there.

and if you chew tobacco, and wish upon a star,
well you'll find out where the scarecrows sit,
just like punchlines between the cars,
and i know a place where a royal flush,
can never beat a pair, and even thomas jefferson,
is on the nickel over there.

so ring around the rosie, you're sleepin' in the rain,
and you're always late for supper,
and man you let me down again,
i thought i heard a mockingbird, roosevelt knows where,
you can skip the light, with grady tuck,
on the nickel over there.

so what becomes of all the little boys,
who run away from home,
well the world just keeps gettin' bigger,
once you get out on your own,
so here's to all the little boys,
the sandman takes you where,
you'll be sleepin' with a pillowman,
on the nickel over there.

so let's climb up through that button hole,
and we'll fall right up the stairs,
and i'll show you where the short dogs grow,
on the nickel over there.