First Aid kit
Wounds are never typical. And sometimes not even predictable. It is common to want to look when passing an accident, although obviously dangerous when driving. Part of us wants to know what happened, what to blame it on and eventually feel lucky not to be the one involved. We think to ourselves, with different timing that could have been me. We reinforce our belief in luck or fate.
First on the scene
There have been times in life when I looked down to find a small bleeding scratch or boo-boo on my hand. It is curious because I didn’t even feel it happen and might not have noticed without the obvious sign of redness. With no noticeable pain involved, I lost context for how or when it occurred. I might not even feel any pain until I examine it to determine what next steps to take to stop some bleeding or clean it and cover it. Those scout lessons from my youth are used more often in adulthood that I ever thought possible.
Bigger Wounds
Personal wounds from others are a little different. It is easy to want to take immediate measures to hurt in response in a knee-jerk reaction. It feels good in the moment but doesn’t speed recovery and sometimes prolongs the healing because my revenge has created another injury, the self-inflicted variety. Much later I may discover that these wounds provide a chance to increase connection to myself but it is a delayed benefit. A little healing has to happen to feel differently. Personal insights could end in increasing a connection to my own thoughts. The original infliction that hurt so much in the moment resulted in creating a resilience that will counteract future damage. Scars can provide self-pride.
Heal Yourself and Others
There is a secret to healing and it is based in sincerity. If an apology comes out too quickly after an insult, it might not be beneficial. Taking the time to notice the wound and its depth should provide a better basis to what kind of healing words it needs. The response to pain may be more important that the actual cut. When you are the one inflicting the harm, it is better to move the focus from your need to the want of the wounded. Healing is complicated but gradually we can all be better first responders.
Is it difficult to pause when all you want to do is hurt in reaction to a personal wound? Can you sincerely stop and put yourself second when you have created pain? What have you learned from being wounded?
