I am in pain. I've been in pain all day. Last night, I was in "searing pain", which is pain multiplied by pain, divided by relief, then multiplied by pain to the tenth power. In case you are not a math whiz, that equals pain with 33 zeros after it. Two days ago, I was in pain (just regular pain, no zeros). In fact, I was in pain all week.
Welcome to my humor column.
Actually, pain is not really all that funny ... unless it happens to somebody else. Oh, come on. Don't get all sanctimonious on me. Pain is the very essence of the Bugs Bunny Show. And the Three Stooges. And every sitcom that relies on personal slights and insults. Without pain to tickle the funny bone, the entertainment industry would be no bigger today than George Bush's collection of feminist literature.
Of course, pain is funny only when it happens to somebody else. It's a lot like reality TV. If it was you stranded on a desert island with a dozen other maniacs, trying to cook worms without emptying your stomach first, would you feel "entertained"?
Fortunately for the deep-pocket sponsors of reality TV, it's not really very real. As long as somebody else is enjoying their makeshift meal of gourmet slimies, it's called entertainment.
Unfortunately for me, my muscle pain is real. It's in my back. It's in my side. It hurts when I bend, twist, or make any sudden movement not approved by the FDA, the DEA, the IRS, the RCMP, the CIA or Interpol.
I did something stupid. No, I did not try a triple summersault on my snowboard in the Rockies. Unfortunately, it was not that stupid. But I did pick up 37-pound Little Lady to place her in her high chair. And I did use just one arm, off to the side, while fiddling with the high chair straps.
I was keenly aware of the exact moment that God said, "It's about time you learn a lesson about physics and biology and all those other subjects you so smugly weaseled your way out of in high school." Ouch.
Parents of young children deserve immunity against muscle pain. A young child should be a "get out of pain free" card. You get to go directly to health, do not pass the hospital, do not pay $200.
Why special treatment for parents of young children? Because they never get the chance to fully recuperate.
Children demand 100 times more physical interaction than adults. And guess what? They want it at their level ... which means bending over. Ouch.
Children are unpredictable, which means they might suddenly grab your leg with enough energy to fell an oak. Since there is rarely an oak in your living room, your leg falls with you attached. Or you react to keep yourself from falling ... which means twisting. Ouch.
Did I mention that kids want to play a lot? Running. Dancing. Chasing. Throwing. Rolling on the floor. Can you resist? Of course you can. "Catch, daddy." Oops, I forgot. Ouch.
OK, how about playing something calm. I sat Little Lady in her high chair (without twisting this time) and placed some Play Dough in front of her. "Please, please, please stop dropping chunks on the floor where I have to bend reeeeeeeally low to pick them up." Ouch.
A parent of a young child simply does not have the opportunity to heal. He just keeps re-injuring himself over and over and over and over.
So if you notice my columns growing less funny and more painful, please don't laugh. It's my pain, and it is real.
About The Author
The author is David Leonhardt, The Happy Guy, publisher of Your Daily Dose of Happiness at http://thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html. Read more personal growth articles in his Self-actualization Resource Center at http://thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html, or visit his home page at http://thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html.
http://thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html
bedroom cleaning professionals Bannockburn .."Before every action, ask yourself: Will this bring more monkeys... Read More
"It takes a village to raise a child" is more... Read More
LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2005) - With Memorial Day weekend,... Read More
Our children are growing up bilingual in the French part... Read More
NY -- Strange as it may sound, bordom promotes happier,... Read More
Paula's last child had just gone off to college and... Read More
Who Can Register A Birth? The child's mother... Read More
Do you have a high maintenance child?"Thank goodness my second... Read More
At first I thought of titling this article "The Lazy... Read More
I am writing this from the beautiful mountains of Western... Read More
I wanted to share with you one of the most... Read More
Having a babysitter take care of your kids is sometimes... Read More
In the wonderment of childhood, it is easier for a... Read More
As a mom of 4 who's youngest child is about... Read More
We were sitting in the family room. My kids had... Read More
There are so many learning labels floating around these days... Read More
``Mom, can I go to the mall with my friend... Read More
Isn't the technology of today is amazing?! Between the speed... Read More
Many parents would like to homeschool their children but are... Read More
My name is Duncan and I'm 2 years old. I... Read More
What are the easiest things citizens can do to prevent... Read More
Children bombard parents with many challenging behaviours. We are delighted... Read More
OK, moms and dads out there, we hear you when... Read More
The children of Baby Boomers, the Echo Generation, are entering... Read More
Homework. It doesn't have to be a daily battle of... Read More
Airbnb cleaning service Bannockburn ..For the first year or two of life outside the... Read More
1. The Law of the BeastAs parents we need to... Read More
Although it might seem pretty corny to a lot of... Read More
Often, the struggle at dinnertime with your picky eater is... Read More
Are your children truthful, kind, and helpful? If so, read... Read More
Parents, do you have children who do poorly in school,... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of May 31,... Read More
Criticism is punitiveOur children judge themselves on the opinions we... Read More
Sometime the most effective training tool in rapidly accelerating the... Read More
Some public schools try to turn children against their parents... Read More
Recently, a much-anticipated game of mini-golf with my children soon... Read More
The Theme from MASHI flipped the button on the remote... Read More
While on a recent trip to the grocery store, I... Read More
She slipped her small, soft eight-year-old hand into mine. Her... Read More
Much has been said about the "gifted child" but in... Read More
The distressed adolescent often has feelings of abandonment, emotional detachment,... Read More
It is extraordinary times that we find ourselves in. Change... Read More
Though you can cover even very long distances by car... Read More
In our last article about the neurology of ADHD we... Read More
Ever blown your top to your children, only to regret... Read More
AD/HD (attention deficit disorder) is one of the most common... Read More
Many children enjoy TV, and they can learn from it.... Read More
Is it possible to be using our children addictively?Anything that... Read More
In the beginning, having children was just a byproduct of... Read More
OK, moms and dads out there, we hear you when... Read More
Parenting |