I recently visited San Diego with my family. One of the things we did there was go to the zoo, which I think is beautiful and the best I have ever seen. There were many cool animals to see, but I was also people watching as well. For some reason it seemed there was a much higher than normal number of people there who were injured or needed some type of assistance to move around. Viewed positively, it was a good thing that they had all found a way to be mobile and could enjoy the zoo just like me. But I also wondered could my point of view be changing, that as part of growing older am I becoming more aware of human frailty, including my own and therefore more capable of noticing it in others?
The next day, while swimming in the ocean with my son, I stepped on a stingray. As you might imagine, it was extremely painful. As I stumbled out of the ocean to examine my bloody foot, I discovered a new magnitude of pain way beyond the bee stings and hits by jellyfish I had felt before. Fortunately, a nearby lifeguard told me how to treat it, and with the help of my wife and others, after hobbling about for a couple of days, I was mostly back to normal. I understand a certain branch of the military based in that area ascribes to the point of view that "pain is weakness leaving the body." For me, I would not go that far. Certainly, pain endured for a short time reminds me how grateful I am to be healthy again. Hooha!
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