Shaving Club

I nicked the underside of my nose shaving this morning

It was painful. It was the only thing in the world for a fraction of a second

The gymnasium in my high school had a banner that read

PAIN IS TEMPORARY

PRIDE IS FOREVER

as if these things were both (1) true and (2) mutually exclusive

as if a prideful person never feels pain

or a pained person has no room for pride

Seems to me that the people most hurt are those whose pride has been hurt

perhaps, just perhaps the banner should read

PAIN IS PRIDE

PRIDE IS PAIN

take pride in your pain

take pains to be prideful