IT WAS A DAY THAT WAS LASTING FOREVER. THE SUN WAS SO STRONG IT SEEMED THAT I COULD FEEL ITS WEIGHT ON MY BACK…

the PAINPRIVILEGE

and thethe PAINPRIVILEGE

and theSHANDONG, CHINA – JULY 2016SHANDONG, CHINA – JULY 2016

GODDAMMIT, MY ASS IS

KILLING ME!

…AND ALMOST ALL I WAS CONSCIOUS OF WAS PAIN. CONTINUOUS, BITING PAIN.

THOSE DEMONS THAT WE ALL HAVE INSIDE OUR HEADS WERE GOING CRAZY INSIDE MINE. I WASN’T EVEN REALLY AWARE HOW TENSE AND SCREWED UP MY FACE WAS.

AND I FELT TRAPPED BY THE SITUATION. LIKE I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO KEEP GOING, AND YET ALL THAT MEANT WAS MORE PAIN. A KIND OF INTERNAL HELL

AND THEN I JUST HAPPENED TO LOOK ACROSS A FIELD WE WERE PASSING, AND I SAW A WOMAN AT WORK THERE.

AND WHAT OCCURRED TO ME WAS THAT SHE FACED AT LEAST THE SAME PHYSICAL DEMANDS AS I WAS. AND YET, SHE WAS OUT THERE ON HER FARM, JUST KEEPING ON GOING.

WHAT’S MORE: I WAS IN PAIN BECAUSE I CHOSE TO CYCLE ACROSS CHINA. ON A BIKE THAT’S PROBABLY WORTH MORE THAN SHE EARNS IN A YEAR OF HER HARD, PRODUCTIVE WORK. AND — UNLIKE HER — I COULD CHOOSE TO STOP AT ANY TIME.

I REALIZED THAT, IF NOT FOR THE ACCIDENT OF WHEN AND WHERE WE WERE BORN, IT COULD HAVE BEEN ME WORKING IN THAT FIELD, WHILE SHE ENJOYED THE EDUCATION, LIFESTYLE AND CAREER THAT I’VE BEEN BLESSED WITH.

GODDAMMIT, MY ASS PAIN IS A SYMBOL OF MY

PRIVILEGE!

THE POINT IS THAT I GET TO GO ON THIS AWESOME ADVENTURE IN AN INCREDIBLE PLACE. IT’S THE STUFF PEOPLE DREAM OF! IF THE BIGGEST PRICE I HAVE TO PAY IS A BIT OF A PAIN IN THE ASS, THEN I HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR.

FUCKING FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS…

HOW YOU DOIN’ BABE?

I’M DOING GREAT!

THE END.