Weird P. Blog about your near life experience. Boooooring. I think it had to do w/my waxing on "Acute Pain" to a co-worker. Not "sustained" pain or injury (Although that sometimes follows) I'm talking pain that, for whatever reason, causes remarkable clarity. A "white" moment.

Ex: Barking your shins in the middle of the night. (I forget which comedian said "Shins are God's way of helping you find furniture in the dark") You shuffle along, half asleep, making your way to the loo' for a 2:30 am potty break when WHAMMO! (Or a muffled crack) of your shin barking agains the coffee table. Now, besides uttering a few curses you ever notice that you have a sort of "flash" and everything around you becomes a little clearer? Now I don't advocate hurting yourself or deliberately kicking around in the darker until WHAMMO you connect. But, it always amazes me how immediate and instant pain can cause this. (And it can't be premeditated either. It's the immediate adrenaline shot as opposed to the agonizing slow burn of anticipatory discomfort.)

Other examples:
Getting hit really hard without knowing where it's coming from (Yeah...)
Smacking yourself in the head. (See: Searching under a desk or in a cupboard)
Getting kicked in either the mommy or daddy button.
Waxing/Removing a band-aid
Paper Cuts/Razor nicks
Biting your tongue
Getting your fingers slammed in a car door. (As my co-worker did to me a few weeks ago)

In one of my many old Martial Arts tomes, I read that Wushu practitioners would nick themselves with thorny ash branches prior to engaging in combat. Something about the teeny tiny little cuts helping with clarity and focus. While I personally feel that's akin to the behavior of flagellents or more topically "cutters" (gross) I can sort of subscribe to the philosophy. I used to play hockey and football better when I had a cold/was sick. Even in shows, I get hyper-aware of my mechanics and usually can sing/speak better because I'm actively working on where I breathe from (And who I breathe on. Which, in turn, makes for a better listener.)

Ahhh, just an old man and his queer rantings. Anyone else notice this?