Pains or injuries? There is a distinction between the two, but many people use the words as the same.
I remember being in my thirties and telling a customer who was in his fifties that my body started hurting more once I turned 30. He laughed at me and said, “You just wait!” I passed it off as just another old guy complaining about his aches and pains, and then I realized that I was the one who started the conversation about these aches and pains.
Several years ago, I listened to a former NFL player who spoke at a conference I was attending. As one of his humorous quips, he shared that he goes to bed feeling fine and he wakes up injured. Can you relate? How does this happen?
Yes, our bodies do hurt more as we age. Although some pains deal with things that are passed along in our genes, I am convinced that our lifestyle choices are the most significant factor. Yes, what we eat, how we choose to exercise (or not exercise), and how well we sleep are critical factors in how much we ache.
I am also convinced that we are a softer generation, and how we are dealing with the latest pandemic isn’t helping matters. My grandfather could name the times he went to the doctor in his lifetime on one hand. My immediate family members had a total of 17 COVID tests in the past two years. (None were positive, thankfully.) We jam a finger today, and we feel like we need to have an MRI done. Emergency rooms are full of people who don’t seem to understand what an emergency really is.
I am part of the problem, too. The aches and pains keep piling up, and popping a handful of ibuprofen does make me feel better. Of course, I could stop eating the foods that are causing me inflammation and have a regular exercise plan with plenty of stretching, but that’s a lot of work.
So, like many of you, I deal with the aches. I complain about the pains. I try to avoid the injuries. And I am probably getting tested for COVID too often. But, as the saying goes, better safe than sorry.
Have a thoughtful Thursday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305 | 
