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July 14, 2005
Pain in the face
Last night I dreamed I was shot in the tongue. Then the doctor who fixed me up tried to molest me. In both cases, a question of speaking out or not.
There was no pain in the dream when I was tongue-shot, but then I don't remember much pain in real life when I pierced my tongue. Just a sensation akin to the soft give-and-pop of a pencil through taut paper. If we don't remember physical pain once it's over with, then why are we so afraid of it? If it doesn't live in memory, does it count as an experience at all? As with any abstract question, I turn to Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a concrete answer. When Angel had to reverse time to make Buffy forget they'd ever been together, was it easier for her, afterwards? Did it nullify her suffering? (Or use Superman and Lois if you are a classicist, it's the same thing.) Pain creates a vacuum in our experience, a hole we learn to shy away from. But it cannot be said to hurt once it's done hurting--the memory or, let us say, the shadow or the echo is gone--so as far as I'm concerned it doesn't exist. All of which is to say, shouldn't I stop being such a baby and just pierce my belly button already?
Posted by didofoot at July 14, 2005 11:31 AM
Comments
I've heard repeatedly that a belly button piercing is one of the harder things to heal and actually keep. Nothing arcane or urban-mythy, they just get caught on clothes and pulled around when you walk/sleep/sit down/et cetera.
Mind you, it's no reason not to do it. Just be nice to it.
Posted by: Dianna at July 14, 2005 11:50 AM
The key to successful belly button piercing is not wearing pants for like a month afterwards.
I just made that up.
Posted by: holohan at July 14, 2005 12:17 PM
see, here is another example of how your nut allergy myth is hurting me. i was going to make a joke about pantslessness and deez nuts, but i can't because you are a friend to the nuts. and also i am not a man.
Posted by: didofoot at July 14, 2005 01:01 PM
Please, keep being a baby.
I spent YEARS trying to keep you in one piece.
Posted by: Mom at July 15, 2005 12:00 PM
shot in the tongue is very freudian.
Posted by: shoefly at August 4, 2005 06:57 PM
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