Nick Mezacapa: Life lessons mean that pain is not felt in vain

Nick Mezacapa: Life Lessons on Pain and Growth

I remember my first two-wheel bicycle. It had 12-inch wheels, pneumatic rubber tires, and no brakes. If these dangerous little bikes are still made, “The Better Parents Bureau” must be pushing to have them banned. At age 4, I loved riding that little bike. I would zoom around my neighborhood sidewalks with the same wild abandon as a motorcycle racing at The Isle of Man TT classic, out in the middle of the Irish Sea!

One day, early in my fourth summer, I rode into a sandy patch on a curved sidewalk at my usual motocross speed. My bike slid out from under me. I fell hard onto my left elbow and knee, scraping both on the rough pavement. I got up and limped home with my bike, where my Italian mother greeted me with first aid, hugs, kisses, Band-Aids, and cookies—an incomparable comfort.

Looking back, that bike crash was the first time I had ever felt serious physical pain. It was a new and frightening sensation. Physical and emotional pain are parts of our shared human reality. As we grow, we learn to express these experiences. We tell stories of our crashes, treatments, and emotional betrayals with vivid detail.

“As far as I can remember, this bike crash episode was the first time that I had ever been hurt and felt any 'serious' physical pain. It was a sensation that I had never felt before and it scared me.”

Sharing these stories helps us understand and communicate the pain that shapes us.

Author’s summary: Early experiences of pain teach us valuable life lessons, showing that suffering is part of growth and storytelling helps make sense of it.

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Post Bulletin Post Bulletin — 2025-11-05

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