I have always been a coward when It comes to pain. As a kid my fear of pain led me to live a careful life less I hurt myself and end up in pain. Of course, that was not a sure fire method of pain avoidance because I certainly experienced my share along the way. Pain serves us well. It lets us know when something is amiss or when we are doing something that we should stop. It is our body’s alert system and the body wants pain to stop asap. A few days ago I sat in a parking lot of a local tattoo parlor talking myself into getting a piercing not in my ear mind you but in my nose. Ever since I was a teen, I wanted a nose stud. I thought they were a beautiful sight to behold, the way they shimmered in the sun. On this day certainly no longer a teen, I ventured inside and ended up in a chair of a bald guy with an eagle tattooed on his scalp and two split ear lobes aiming a needle at my left nostril. I won’t lie here, yes I was scared and I was wondering “what the hell am I doing in here?” I exhaled as I had been instructed and the unexpected happened. I began to accept the discomfort. I breathed into it and began to enjoy the experience. I sank into a space of peace and knew once it was all over I would be the proud owner of a sparkling nose stud. I wondered to myself why I had not screamed or why I had sat in total peace and serenity as the pierced man pierced me and yes it hurt.  I figured it must be akin to childbirth where a kind of acceptance takes over and you realize this too shall pass. I was brave that day and felt even braver as I sat in my car admiring my shiny new nose piece. The ability to rise above the fear and take a seat in that chair showed me a strength that I had forgotten I had. Pain lets us know that we are alive and riding the wave of pain can lead us into a place we never expected.