Inside the Little Plastic Castle

I think Davio totally nails the intersection of Puritan suffering values, scorn for disabled people, and "tough love" that keeps so many of us in constant pain.

"The body has its own rules, and its logic doesn't hinge on America's moral panic over pain."

I ran cross-country in high school. I hated how it felt. I never experienced a runner's high, or a sense of transcendence or exaltation; I was the slowest person on my team (I did sometimes come in ahead of runners on other teams) and I didn't look like the girls who did track and I think it kept confusing the coach that I ran at all. But I liked having the ability to run five miles without stopping. It felt useful. I liked knowing it was there if I needed it.

I still miss it. But I miss more a lot of other things my body was trained to, and I care more about getting those back, and they are less likely to wipe me out for a week right now.