Log #51 (3D Pian)

Log #51... I had a strange connection here. You know how you see or here one thing and somehow your brain connects it with something else that is totally unrelated? Well, mine just popped up with Area 51. Kind of weird and funny at the same time. Area 51, the so-called secret military base where super military weapons are developed, crashed alien space ships are held, and where Indiana Jone's archaeological finds are held to keep the world safe. Chronic Pain is kind of like Area 51 to a lot of people... It's a condition that few people know about, the life we live is alien to most people, and some people think it's an invention of the mind like the Indiana Jones movies.

Speaking of movies... There seems to be a lot of 3D movies coming out these days. There are even TVs coming out that can show 3D media. That is totally awesome and the technology is so good that you don't have to wear those goofy red and blue cardboard glasses. Now you get to wear these comfortable and cool looking things that look like sunglasses. I think the day will soon come when all movies will be in a 3D format. It's a 3D world and it makes sense really.

Chronic Pain, no matter the cause or source, is a 3D thing too. Not 3D in the physical way that can be seen and touched. It is 3D in the following ways:

Debilitating- It severely limits your life in physical, economical, and social ways.
Depressing- Between the pain, medications, and misunderstandings the sufferer can feel very alone.
Dejecting- You lose your status in society and are looked upon as less than a second rate citizen.

I am going to get a little philosophical this evening as I express my beliefs in relation to Chronic Pain. I don't think it really matters if a person believes in God or Higher Power, or if they are Atheist or Agnostic, most everyone feels there is a purpose to their life. As we go through life we have an idea or direction we think we are going and at the end there is some finality to it all. That finality may be death with nothing thereafter or it maybe some existence beyond this to which we travel, but the belief we hold about the end of life only changes the way we approach our purpose.

I am a deeply spiritual man with beliefs that I don't think is appropriate to share in this context, but I can say enough that it has universal application to any belief the reader may have, which is this; our pain and suffering serves a purpose that can actually be positive in nature whether we see it that way or not. Going back to what I just said above, based on our beliefs, Chronic Pain can be attributed to the workings of God/Gods, to natural selection and survival of the fittest, or just plain dumb luck. Once again, none of these views really changes the purpose that this kind of suffering can bring about.

We are surrounded by other human beings and our interactions and connections are largely dictated by the choices we make. We choose to have a large circle of friends or we choose not to. We choose to keep close family ties or we choose not to. In any case, when we are beset with Chronic Pain it touches the lives of other people. It may be your entire family or if you don't have that, it may only be your doctor. Even the homeless person with Chronic Pain touches some one's life in some way.

Just by means of this association a purpose is created. Let me illustrate...

The homeless man finds the only comfort for his pain in a bottle of cheap alcohol so he sits in the cold corner of a subway station with his half broken and nearly empty Styrofoam cup on the dirty ground in front of him. For every person that walks by and sees him there is a choice to be made--an action to choose. That action affects and alters a persons purpose in life in some way. For some it is very profound as it causes them to change their whole outlook on life. From one act of kindness by putting money in that man's cup a person my set out on a life long mission that ends up saving the lives of many homeless people in the future. For the person who chooses to ignore the cup, their change may be more subtle, but a change there is because they have fostered in their mind fear for their own life or elevating their pride in inhumanity. Their action in that moment will affect the way they treat other people in their lives, which will eventually lead to someone making a positive choice to correct that negative influence.

A sick person in the midst of family and friends brings out the best and worst in those around them and a chain of events for good or ill are set in motion. The attitude of the sick person gives birth to events beyond their control that can span generations to come.

No matter what a person believes there is a law by which all things are held bound. To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every deed of unkindness there will be a deed of kindness. One way or another a debt will be paid to balance the scales. That homeless man witnessed ten thousand acts of kindness, but only a handful helped. Where is the balance in that? The balance comes from that one person who is so moved by compassion that they end up saving nearly ten thousand lives.

What I am trying to say in all this is that the weapon to fight the 3Ds of Chronic Pain--Debilitation, Depression, and Dejection--is how we choose to view it's purpose. Look at all you're going through and look at all of the good things that are happening because of it; not the bad. When we see someone showing compassion for our suffering then we should find joy in their act of service. When we see our friends giving us support we should take joy in their strength. When we are feeling low and someone makes us smile we should take joy in their good nature.

In our own lives the purpose of Chronic pain is to teach us humility when we see we need the help of others. It is to show us that there is more to life than the endless fight to gain more money while forgetting those around us. It is to show us that our bond with our fellow human beings is a lot more tight than we ever imagined before.

There is a purpose to all of this and there is just as much sunshine as there is darkness if I remind myself to pull my head out from under the covers and look at the sunshine cascading through the windows.

PLEASE MAKE COMMENTS!!!! If you have similar experiences then please write them here. It may help someone else when you write your point of view. ANY comment, question, or suggestion is appreciated!!!