Not Quite an Avenger, But "I Can Do This All Day!"
Do you remember that part in the first Avengers movie when Captain America told Dr. Banner (the Hulk) it might be a good time for him to get angry? Banner responds, "I'm always angry!" That's a line and feeling I can relate to—when someone asks if I'm in pain, my response is, "I'm always in pain!" Sounds a bit dark, right? But let's unpack that a bit. Ever since I was a kid, I've been able to handle pain, often in a somewhat reckless manner. I'd trip and cut myself while playing and still keep going. I didn't want to stop the fun for me or my friends. Looking back, it wasn't the best idea. But those were my priorities then. These childhood adventures have left their marks as scars and stitches. Things got more serious when my lung started to collapse every year, and I had to get a tube put in. I strangely miss those simpler times when all I had to do was rest, heal, and then get the tube taken out. It was scary, especially being s...