The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

  • (I work in a Coffee Shop. I was on break in the lobby when a couple walks in. Directly behind them is a cute little boy in Batman costume.)
  • Me: “Oh my God! It’s BATMAN!”
  • (The boy stops, strikes a pose and starts looking around menacingly. After a few seconds, he approaches the counter.)
  • Mother: “Jeff, would you like a chocolate milk?”
  • Boy: “I am not Jeff. I am The Batman.”
  • Mother: “The Batman, would you like a chocolate milk?”
  • Boy: “Yes. Yes, The Batman would.”
  • (The couple pays while the boy sits down with his chocolate milk. He keeps a stern look on his face as he sips the drink.)
  • Boy: *sips* “Gotham is safe.”

Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say ‘My tooth is aching’ than to say ‘My heart is broken.’

—C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (via likeafieldmouse)