The Polarization of the Mind

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Shock is nearly always paired with pain. It is a sudden or violent disturbance of the mind, emotions or sensibility. Shock is that moment of derealisation, when time itself can seem to stop. Whether it be the death of a loved one, a sudden breakup, or any other of the many swift changes in life, shock will leave its mark on a person’s psyche. As Alex Lifeson said, “The shock of any trauma, I think changes your life. It's more acute in the beginning and after a little time you settle back to what you were. However it leaves an indelible mark on your psyche.”
At times life can hit you hard. When all seems to be well, disaster strikes like a lightning bolt.Too quickly can a nice evening can become tainted with pain, dragging you into that paralysed state of shock. I have had my share of rough days, but the incident that occurred one summer’s day when I was twelve tops them all. What started as an exciting day on the river ended in death and flowers.
It was just a few weeks past the fourth of July. My family decided that a camping trip to Oscoda would be a perfect cure to a house full of stir crazy kids. We all hopped into my father’s pickup truck early in the morning, heading down the freeway. Four hot and stuffy hours later we arrived at the river. The cramped pickup truck pulled up to the camping spot, while kids poured out as the engine thudded off. Of course, being the kids we were, our first instinct was to run as fast as we could and jump into the river.
My brothers and I charged for the river as if we were barbarians, hungry for the pillage. As I made it to the end of the dock I cannonballed towards the river, way ahead of my siblings. With a cool splash my body plummeted into the dark blue water, the drag of its current pu...

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...into the ground, splattering pieces of skull all over the road.
What I saw that day had a big impact on me for quite some time. It made me realise how real death actually is. Death can appear in an instant, it need not a messenger to warn of its coming. Human life is so thin and fragile. We take for granted the time we have, we act as if we will live forever.

The shock of that incident left a mark on my life for quite some time. Like all shocking experiences, however, I learned to move past it. We as humans have an amazing amount of resilience. Life is malleable, it is constantly changing. Unfortunately these changes can be quick and often times painful. Most pain can be alleviated with time however. The shock that one suffers may leave a mark on on their life, but through the passage of time the initial pain subsides. Like all things in life, nothing lasts forever.

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