Shock is almost always accompanied by pain. It is a sudden or violent disturbance of the mind, emotions, or sensations. Shock is that moment of derealization, in which time itself seems to stop. Whether it's the death of a loved one, a sudden breakup, or any other of life's many rapid changes, shock will leave its mark on a person's psyche. As Alex Lifeson said: “I think the shock of any trauma changes your life. At first it's sharper and after some time you go back to being who you were. However, it leaves an indelible mark on your psyche. “Sometimes life can hit you hard. When everything seems to be going well, disaster strikes like lightning. Too quickly a beautiful evening can become tainted by grief, dragging you into that state of paralyzed shock. I've had my share of difficult days, but the incident that happened one summer day when I was twelve is the best of all. What began as an exciting day on the river ended with death and flowers. It was only a few weeks after the Fourth of July. My family decided that a camping trip to Oscoda would be the perfect cure for a house full of crazy kids. Early in the morning we all climbed into my father's pickup truck and headed down the highway. Four hot, sweltering hours later we arrived at the river. The cramped pickup truck stopped at the campsite, children spilling out as the engine died. Naturally, as kids, our first instinct was to run as fast as we could and jump into the river. My brothers and I charged towards the river as if we were barbarians, hungry for plunder. When I reached the end of the pier, I fired a cannonball toward the river, far ahead of my brothers. With a cool splash my body fell into the dark blue water, dragged by the pu current... into the middle of a sheet of paper... into the ground, splattering pieces of skull all over the way. What I saw that day had a great impact on me for quite some time. It made me realize how real death is. Death can appear in an instant, it does not need a messenger to warn it of its arrival. Human life is so thin and fragile. We take the time we have for granted, we act as if we will live forever. The shock of that incident left a mark on my life for a long time. Like all shocking experiences, however, I have learned to overcome them. We as humans have an incredible amount of resilience. Life is malleable, it changes continuously. Unfortunately these changes can be rapid and often painful. However, most pain can be relieved with time. The shock you experience can leave a mark on your life, but as time passes the initial pain fades. Like all things in life, nothing lasts forever.