Freak the Mighty

March 19, 2009 suezaz26

March 19, 2009

We have been reading Freak the Mighty for a few weeks now, and it’s time to start blogging! Here you will find quotes or questions from the book. It’s your responsibility to respond at least twice within one week. I will keep dates posted on my website. You can respond to my initial questions and/or quotes; or to another students.

So here goes: – – “Pain is just a state of mind. You can think your way out of anything, even pain.”

Reaction – I think this quote means…or try I agree/disagree with this statement…

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142 Comments Add your own

1. Ashish Patel | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

I disagree because when your in pain you cant stop it even in your dreams if your feeling pain you get nightmares.
2. suezaz26 | April 1, 2009 at 4:24

Hi Taylor,
What a great response. Just remember to follow ALL grammar rules – Be sure to capitalize correctly!!
Thanks for sharing!
Mrs. Z
3. TAYLOR | March 31, 2009 at 4:24

yes i do agree with grim’s statement. i agree
because lies are when you do not tell the
truth and tales are when you are emblishing to
make the story entertaining. lies can be mean
when you say something about a person that
isn’t true and you hurt their feelings. tales
are very entertaining because when you emblish
you make the story jump off the page! i think
it does matter because in life you always want
to tell the truth.
4. John | March 30, 2009 at 4:24

Mrs. Zazzara,
One pain might be the loss of a loved one such as a parent. Broken bones or (i know this happened to you) burns can be too painful to banish.
5. Yves | March 29, 2009 at 4:24

I agree that you can think your way out of pain. You only think it hurts because it look like it hurt.
6. Emily F. | March 28, 2009 at 4:24

Hey Tommy! I agree with what you said about being asleep, you don’t feel pain. During Yom Kippur (a Jewish holiday where you fast the whole day except for dinner) I sleep for almost the whole day. Yes, I don’t have to fast but I want to since I have to do it for the rest of my life after my Bat Mitzvah in a year. When I’m SUPER hungry, I’m in pain. So when you said when you don’t think about being in pain, you don’t feel it. That’s why I sleep almost the whole day, because when I’m asleep, I don’t think about being hungry. Instead I’m lost in one of my dreams.
7. suezaz26 | March 27, 2009 at 4:24

Tori,
Read over your comment, you had a lot to say. Why is pain interesting? When is it tough? Do you think pain is just a part of life that we need to handle? In what ways?
Looking forward to hearing what you have to say!
Mrs. Z
8. suezaz26 | March 27, 2009 at 4:24

Eric,
What is it that your mom does? Moms are great for things like that! I know when Dean is hurt (physically) or upset, I try and make him focus his energy on something else. I try to find something that will make him laugh!
Thanks for sharing!
Mrs. Z
9. suezaz26 | March 27, 2009 at 4:24

Drew,
Can you elaborate a bit? In what ways can the pain be quick and painless? What do you focus on?
Thanks,
Mrs. Z : )
10. suezaz26 | March 27, 2009 at 4:24

John,
Can you share with us what types of pain might be too intense?
Thanks,
Mrs. Z : )
11. suezaz26 | March 27, 2009 at 4:24

Cullen,
Can you expand a little more. What could you think about it instead of the pain?
Mrs. Z
12. suezaz26 | March 27, 2009 at 4:24

Grace,
I love the way you think! Joy and laughter seems to be the best medicine when you are in any kind of pain. I know when Dean hurts himself, all my husband or I have to do is get him to laugh or to think about something else, and he totally forgets that he got hurt!
Thanks for sharing a great reminder! Laughter is the best medicine!!!
Mrs. Z : )
13. suezaz26 | March 27, 2009 at 4:24

Elizabeth,
You make a great point. I remember when I was about seven years old, I put my arm through a window. Once I saw the blood, that was it. I couldn’t stop thinking about anything else. “I cut my arm, I cut my arm,” I kept saying. Even the next day, my arm was wrapped up and I was so careful not to bump it on anything because it still hurt. It was hard to forget about it.
Thanks for sharing,
Mrs. Z
14. suezaz26 | March 27, 2009 at 4:24

Anthony,
What were you able to do to stop thinking about whatever was bothering you? Can you elaborate and share a bit more with us?
Thanks,
Mrs. Z
15. Tori Baliatico | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Hey Laura,
i agree with you totally you are so true feel the same exact way that you do about this book. i am enjoying this book.Are you enjoying this book? well have fun bloging bye
Tori
16. Davey L. | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Lina,
I never thought of it like that. I like how you said that nobodies brain is strong enough to diminish pain not even “yours”. Your responce Helped me think of life and the mind in a whole different way.

Davey
17. Tori Baliatico | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

i think this quote means that pain is realating to anything it can become anything it is anything pain is very interseting and pain can be very tough.when its saying that you can get out of anything even pain it is saying that every thing happenes and pain is just normal and pain comes any time.
18. Eric Manfra | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I never knew you could have pain in your heart.It usually happens when you have a relationship, but what do i know.when ever i get pain i do what jeff does. i moan and groan to my mom. she usually gets it out of me.
19. Ryan McSherry | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Lina,
Your coment was great. It almost convinced me
that Freak was wrong. Pain is hard to get over but I think you can get over it.
20. Ryan McSherry | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote is completly right. I hurt
myself in a baseball game once. Then I started
focasing on the game and my pain went away.
Really all pain is in your head.Just focas on
something else and it goes away.
21. Kola Shomade | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Nikil I agree with your response for the emotional response but what about physical pain?
22. Kola Shomade | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Well I do think pain can be a state of mind and it can’t be. Because when you feel something like emotinal pain it can phase you but it’s just a state of mine and it really can’t physically hurt you. But if you have physical pain that not a state of pain it’s not a illusion you’ve actually been physically injured in some kind of way. And that’s the way I feel.
23. Steven Skubish | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Jassiem,
I think your story was incredibly inspiring. I’l think about that in my own life.
24. Steven Skubish | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this quote because pain is your body’s way of telling your brain that something or someone is causing distress and hurting you. So if you can ignore the signals your body is giving you that you’re is in distress and something is causing you to hurt then it will be like the pain isn’t even there which exemplifies the fact that you can think your way out of anything.
25. Dustin DeMarsico | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means many things. I think it means that pain is just in your mind but maybe your just feeling. But maybe it is just there. Or maybe you are just
imagining the pain. And sometimes you can control or even push it off aside.
26. Dustin DeMarsico | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with mostly everyone on the blog about how you control and push away pain. I agree with this statement because I think you can control pain when its temptation, mental, or drama pain. Physical pain i don’t think you can control because you cant always win the fights and the pain. But if it is mental you can just ignore it, or just not think about it, and forget about it or put it away. So if you are involved with relationship pain just put it aside. You have control over pain. I think that you can push it away and think about better things, but also you can fight it off.
27. Tommy Cunningham | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with you John Q. I love how you compared it to Zen and The Art of Faking It. I thought that was what he was trying todo all story. You made a great point. As he sat on the rock he had to put his mind some where else to keep him from noticing the cold.Great point John!
28. Matthew Perper | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Chris,
Great point you’ve made. You even realted it to real life pain! And it is true if you don’t think about how bad the pain is, you just let it slide. Live life to the fullest! Great job.
29. Tommy Cunningham | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this qoute. I f you are asleep you will not feel pain, but you don’t notice it. This is probably because of the state of mind you are in. It is the same thing if you are awake or asleep. If you try hard enough to think of something different from what happening you will not notice anything around you.
30. Todd Ryan | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Chris,
That must of hurt a lot. I would of thought
that my self. If you think about it you think
out pain every day. Like small old cuts or
scars. When you don’t think about them, it
doesn’t hurt. (third response)
31. Tyler H. | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Lina,

I loved how you used examples from real life. I completly feel the same way about pain. Sometimes you can think out of mental pain but it can be very hard to do. Like you said loosing aloved one can be exstreamly hard to get over but you can think your way out of it by doing other things. However, you can still not thin out of physical pain because you can’t controll your body as well as you can controll your mind. Awesome job!
32. Kaitlyn Killeen | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

That’s really deep Emily F. If I’m in pain, I think about it making it worse.
33. Kaitlyn Killeen | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that pain is just your imagination. If you don’t think about it, it goes away. If my hand itches, I just ask Emily F. to step on my foot, so I can forget about my itching hand and think about my aching foot. In other words,if you focus your mind on something other than pain, you’ll forget about the pain.
34. Hannah G. | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I thought about it some more, and I have decided that I don’t always agree with this statement/quote. Sometimes, pain really just hurts really bad and you just CAN NOT get over it! When something really bad happens, you can’t just not think about it! I mean, say someone in your family died. That is not an easy thing to get over, and it may be really hard and take careful concentration to stop thinking about it. If the person was a huge part of your life, it would be so hard to go through life without them.
35. Hannah G. | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

“Pain is just a state of mind. You can think your way out of anything, even pain.” WOW. I think that this is a really powerful quote. I think that it means that you will only feel pain if you want to feel pain. You can kind of decide what you want to feel. If it hurts really bad, but you try not to think of it, and don’t, it won’t hurt. I know, that sometimes my family will yell at me for complaining, and I will say, “But it HURTS!” and they will reply,”Just stop Thinking about it!”. It actually usually works. I definetly agree with this quote, although, I dont agree that you can think your way out of everything. Some things, yes, you can. But some things may be stuck in your head so deeply, that you wouldnt be able to think your way out of it, or even ignore it.
36. Amanda K | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Alex,
I heard about Natasha Richardson. It must be horrible to not be able to feel the pain. I agree that you might not feel the pain but that does not mean it isn’t there.
37. Dustin DeMarsico | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with mostly with everyone about having control over your pain and puish away from it as well. I agree because you can control what you do and the pain that comes along. I think you can by just following through the pain and if it is mental you can solve the pain. If it is physical pain just take or just fight it, push it away. Well i think this and i agree.
38. Sasha Lofton | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I think the quote means that if you think hard enough you can think you way out of anything even pain. But i don’t agree with the quote because if you get hurt like fall down a flight of stairs and get hurt you cant think your way out of the pain you are feeling when your on the floor crying after you fall down a flight of stairs. But you can think your way out of mental pain like if you lose a loved one you can take it slow and talk your way out of the pain you are feeling.
39. Sasha Lofton | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Tyler H,
I so agree with you Tyler. Remember when you feel off the monkey bars at your house and got hurt. You could not have prevented because you did not know it was going to happen.I think that is what the quote means. It means if you really focus and think you can think your way out of any pain even if its the worst pain in the world.
40. Anthony Young | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with the author. I agree because pain is a state of mind. It will only bother you if you think about it. I always overcome pain. I have not cried since like september. I learned to not think about it and it will stop. That is how I learned about pain and how it works.
41. Elizabeth H. | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Chris D:
I think I disagree with you. I believe that to get rid of pain needs to take more than just not thinking. I find it hard to get rid of pain, but that’s just me. It is really hard to, as the quote says, “think your way through anything,” so I’m just saying you can’t just forget about it. But, your response was still great! Good job!
42. Sasha L. | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I so agree with you Tyler because remember when you feel off the monkey bars at your house one time you could have not prevented it because you did not know it was going to happen. But when its mental pain you can think your way out of it because if it’s in your head over time its going to go away or you can get some help.
43. Anthony Young | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I totally agree with what the author says. I agree because when you feel pain it is only in your body. When you think about it it will just hurt more. Pain is like a virus it knows when you are in pain so it takes control over you. When you dont think about it you will overcome the pain and it will not bother you anymore.
44. Stephen C | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with the quote. Many times i have heard scientists say that if you try hard enough you can actually banish pain from your awereness. I actually tried it once and once I concentrated enough it actually worked for a while. However i couldnt hold it and almost got burned because i was trying it in the shower with burning hot water spraying on my neck. So thats why I agree with this quote from the book Freak The MIghty.
45. Stephen C | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Chris D the same thing happened with me and baseball a couple years back but it was on my bare arm so it really hurt. My mom told me to do the same thing and I’m not sure if it worked or my arm just went numb.
46. Grace Makowski | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Arianna,
I deffently can relate to what you said. I to can be bleeding and not feel it until I look at it. I am not very stable at the sight of blood so I begin to get dizzy but also convince myself to think it hurts.Also my dad is always telling me when I begin to feel carsick in the car its all in the mind. Joy and laughter always can fill that pain.
47. Lina Z. | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Alex D.
I understand what you say about shock. I agree you can go into a state of shock, but I don’t think I could make myself go into shock. Also, I do not think it is healthy to make yourself go in shock. You could be seriosly injured, like the celebrity, and never notice it until you die. Unless I am mistaken, This is a very bad thing. Therefor, shock is definetly not a thing that I would recomend to help you deal with pain.
48. John | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Lina,
I totally agree. When I fractured my ankle the pain was awful. For the first few days if I tried going anywhere without a crutch it was like torture. As for the emotional pain, when my great grandma died I was really upset. I believe that in order to get over your emotional pain you need to go through the process of mourning otherwise it will always be underneath the surface waiting to break free.
49. cullen reuben | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

this is a extrudenery quote and a marvelos one too. I think means to ignor the things that fear you and think. pretend that it is nothing insted of somthing. so it turely means you can do anything you put your mind to.
50. cullen reuben | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

to me he is right you can think your way out of anything. that is why your parens sometime say if you don’t think about it.When i have to get a neddle the teatrics come out. So if you worry it will bother you about it,but if you don’t every worry vanishs
51. JB W. | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

Conner,
I agree with what you said. I get headaches all the time and I can’t stand them. I always have to take a nap and take aspirin it is so annoying! It works but thanks for giving me another idea. I should try that the next time I get a headache.
52. JB W. | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I think that pain is a state of mind, Freak is right. You just need to know how to ignore it. One time my friends and I were playing football and I fell and it hurt so bad! Eventually after I got up I tried to ignore it and it worked. Sometimes things work out that way. Pain is just a state of mind but you need to know how to ignore it and you may end up thanking yourself in the long run like I did.
53. John | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

I do not agree with this quote. It’s true that if you don’t think about pain, it lessens, especially if it’s emotional, but the pain won’t completely disappear. There are also some pain too intense to think your way out of.
54. Drew | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

This quote means that pain you can get over if you focus on not focusing on it. It can be quick and painless or slow and lots of pain.
55. Ethan Y. | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

John Q.,
I agree with you. I never thought about Zen and the Art of Faking It being related to Freak the Mighhty. But it makes sense because as you said a true Zen master can meditate for a day blocking out hunger, thirst, and all basic needs of the human body. I agree with you.
56. Ethan Y. | March 26, 2009 at 4:24

“Pain is just a state of mind. You can think your way out of anything, even pain.” I agree and disagree with this statement. As long as you don’t think about the pain, it will go away eventually. If you can get your mind to think of something else besides pain by doing something else, you can think your way out of it. But if it is emotional or mental pain, you can’t think your way out of it.
57. Bernard H | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

Kayla,
I agree with you, sometimes we don’t realize pain until we saw what happened. When I get hurt, I think about the cut and it hurts even more.
58. Grace Makowski | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quotes means that pain is only as painful as you think it is. You can control your pain. It is much easier said then done. You can’t really walk away from pain but you can walk away from suffering. Like Freak for example has a disabilty with his legs but was able to do what most people can’t, ignore it;move past it. He did not only that but create a world of things like him, robots. He also used his brain to become a little genus. No matter what your going to face pain sooner or later .
59. suezaz26 | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

Erica,
Can you expand a bit more on this? How does your body react? What kind of pain are thinking about? physical pain? emotional pain? Remember your responses should be a paragraph.
Thanks,
Mrs. Z
60. Chris D. | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

Lina,
I never thought of pain being inside your heart. I also was touched by how you used the example of being burned. that was a great way of msking your point about pain.
61. Chris D. | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that if you think you are in pain, you feel pain in your body. I agree with this statement because last year, during baseball, I got achilles tendonitis and couldn’t run that much or that fast. My mom said that I won’t hurt as much if you don’t think about it. At first, I thought it was dumb, but it actually worked. I think Freak might think about nice things in his surgery, to overcome pain.
62. connor s | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

hi Jessica,
I completly agree with you when you said that you can push yourself away from pain. I also love the part when you compare pain to peer pressure. I believe that you can forget about pain and peer pressure and they will be gone from your head. I really loved your response!!
63. Jeffrey Rodgers | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

Andrew Chick,
I totally agree with you! You explained it so well, when you said that you can think about the positives or how you can make something better than it actually is. Also, I agree with you when you said how you can think your way out of anything. You can always look at the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m with you when you say that if you dedicate yourself to something you can always achieve it. I loved your example[food] and how you can always make it seem like, the taste of food in this case, is not as bad as it actually is. I agree that if you think hard enough you can make anything fun, or make it seem like there is no pain at all, in Freak’s case. Usually, if you fight through pain or really anything you can learn/gain somethig from it. Once again, I agree with what you said and loved how you expressed it. I totally agree!

Jeff Rdgers
64. connor s | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

When the author says that pain is just a state of mind I believe him. I get a lot of headaches and boy do they hurt. I go moan and graon to my mom and she will tell not to think about the headache but something else like school or T.V. So I think about something else and in a matter of time , the headache is gone! So the author in my view is right, because you may still have scars and bruises, but as long as your mind isn’t focused on the pain, it won’t be there.
65. Todd Ryan | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

Matt P,
I never thought about it before but I guess youare right. All your heat does go to your handbut on it’s own. Sort of like a natural reflex,but no one thinks of it as one.
66. Shannon Burns | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

Amanda K.
I agree with you. When you think about something else the pain does go away for a little while. Whether your with freinds or family or even watching TV you can usually get your mind off of it sometime. The more you think about the pain the more it will hurt. It is good that Freak has Max to forget about all of his troubles. Thet always have crazy and fun trips and adventures. It is good that he could escape from it and just have fun.
67. Todd Ryan | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

Matt P,
I never thought about it before but I guess you
are right. All your heat does go to your hand
but on it’s own. Sort of like a natural reflex,
but no one thinks of it as one.
68. Erica W. | March 25, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that no mater what your mind makes your body react to everything
69. suezaz26 | March 24, 2009 at 4:24

Jassiem,
What a great experience to share with us…that’s great that you were able to clear your mind and focus on your team. Too bad your injury prevented you from playing. I’m sure your teammates appreciated all the support you gave them.
Great response!!
Mrs. Z
70. jassiem.w | March 24, 2009 at 4:24

Jeffrey R,
I totally agree with you on your opinion about pain.Once a few months ago i got badly hurt during a futbol [soccer] game. A knee injury, you know what those are like. Any way i was on the bench and i cleared my mind and focused on supporting my team mates.it hurt me physically but not mentally. Even though we lost i was proud of them for doing their best with out the best soccer player ever to walk the face of planet earth.
71. suezaz26 | March 24, 2009 at 4:24

Hi Nikhil,
Can you elaborate a little more on your thoughts. Your response should be a paragraph. Try to include some examples. What other things might you think about to not focus on the pain? Dig just a little deeper and share more of what you’re thinking with us.
Thanks,
Mrs. Z
72. Alex Duke | March 24, 2009 at 4:24

Kayla,
I agree with you. A lot of times, many things are just in your head. Sometimes, when I’m nervous about something, my parents will just tell me to not focus on it, because I’m just over thinking it.
Also, if my arm hurts, for example, my dad will say jokingly,”Well I can smack the other one if you’d like. Then your other arm won’t hurt.” Because you’d be so focused on one, and not the other!

Talk to you soon,
Alexandra
73. Brian H. | March 24, 2009 at 4:24

John Q,
I believe every word of your comment. It’s true. Death is what usually decides if we are going to go out and do the unthinkable or cradle in a ball in a corner. For instant, if the doctor where to say you have five days to live you might go skydiving or rocky mountain climbing, you would speak sweeter and love deeper because your time is limited and you want to make the most of your life. The song LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING by Tim Mcgraw really shows this. If you knew you had your whole life ahead of you you’d probally take no risks and play it safe. I also like how you gave us an example like the war in Iraq.
74. Nikhil | March 24, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that pain is only in your head. If you don`t think about it then you wont feel pain but if you do then you will.
75. caroline | March 24, 2009 at 4:24

Wow emily l. you are so write. It is like pain you think in your mind and you had a really good example about with fighting with your firend and how you just think that their is pain because what she said to you.
76. Lina Z. | March 24, 2009 at 4:24

“Pain is just a state of mind. You can think your way out of anything, even pain.” I disagree with this statement. Some physical pain such as burns can be extremely painful and unavoidable. Mental pain, such as the loss of a loved one can be even harder to deal with. I can tell you from experience, that simply “thinking” one’s way out of pain is impossible. When I fractured my kneecap, there was nothing I could do to stop thinking about the pain. I tried, eating, reading and watching TV but nothing, not even my thinking, diminished the pain. Also when my great-grandfather, my very close friend passed away, I couldn’t get over it. I must have cried for three days strait and no matter how hard I thought, I coudn’t think the pain away. There for, Freak is wrong. Pain is a state of mind, but you can’t simply think your way out of it.
77. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Lina,
Love how you think outside the box. You made some compelling points about pain. The way you look at the world inspires me. I hope you never lose your vision. Thank you for sharing your view of the world – I’d like to call it Linavision…. original works of art. Keep at it!
Good for you!
Mrs. Z
78. Anita Mo | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Hey Amanda S.,
I totally agree with how you said, “Pain is only as painful as you make it.” This is so true since if you believe that you’re about to pass out because of an injury, chances are you’re making yourself feel a lot more pain than necessary. I loved reading your stories! Bye!
79. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Jassiem,
Love the quote you included. Can you expand a bit more? How do you think people need to respond to life? Do you think it depends on what is happening? Or, should they respond to all things the same? What do you think the person who said this may have gone through in his/her life to believe this?
Mrs. Z
80. Matthew Perper | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that if you put all of your pain into your head “sometimes” you don’t feel it. I agree with that completely, because its like picking up snow with your hand and focusing all the heat into your hands, if you can do that, you can mentally think pain.
81. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Hi Laura,
Take a moment to look over your response. What types of things should believe in in order to escape painful moments? Whether it be physical, mental, or emotional pain?
Mrs. Z
82. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Hi Kim,
Can you expand a little more? Who in the story? What was he/she feeling? Why? What did you love about Elizabeth’s response? Be sure to elaborate and shed some more light on your thoughts.
Mrs. Z
83. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Chick,
Where can I find this song? I’d love to listen to it? What’s the name of it again?
Thanks,
Mrs. Z
84. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Emily,
Thanks for elaborating your thoughts! Nice job!
Mrs. Z
85. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

John,
Love how you thought of Zen, you made some EXCELLENT points!
Mrs. Z
86. jassiem.w | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that you can go through any problem even pain because pain is just another thing that brings you down.”Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it” Jassiem Wahtuse.
87. Josh M | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Arianna I agree with you that you can control your reactions or emotions. Just like you said I was running and then I tripped over a hole and my leg hit a stick. I didnt feel anything until I saw blood and it just started to sting. This also ties in to Farhas, I always think its an illusion since a cut will only hurt if I just look at it. I just think that since a cut is bad looking that your mind thinks it will hurt and then it does hurt.
88. Josh M | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Mrs Zazzara,
I think we need to experience pain because it teaches us about what things do when your not careful.It also tells us that we have to think things over before we do that something.
89. Rachel B. | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with what Anita said. Pain is just a state of mind, and you can prevent it from affecting your life if you put it out of your mind. By putting the pain out of your mind, you won’t be worrying about it, which doesn’t hold you back from living your life the way you want to live it.
90. Rachel B. | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this quote, because at least once or twice in someone’s week, they face some type of pain. Whether the pain is physical pain, or emotional pain. Emotional painis easier to get through than physical pain, because it scars your heart. However, in some cases it can be harder to get through. For example, if your pet died when you’ve had him/her for ten years. But in most cases, physical pain is harder to get through, because it takes longer to heal. You can get through emotional and physical pain if you try as hard as you can to not think about it.
91. Laura Roessle | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Hey Anita,
I was blown away after I saw your response. I believe each and every word of that response. Its too bad that Freak’s injury is life long, but it teaches us a terrific life lesson.
92. Laura Roessle | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

This quote means in till you look at pain you’ll feel it. If you think in your mind about delightful things, the pain will suddenly take away the pain. Its also about believing, you have to believe that your okay. So if you dont believe and you don’t have faith in yourself nothing will ever get better.
93. Jessica L | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I think that this quote means that pain depends on you¹re mind to work
you¹re way out if it.
You can push away pain by thinking about other things that will trick your mind to think about something else. Honestly, I think that pain is just something that naturally comes to you when you are not feeling well. In other words, its an automatic trigger that comes to you that hurts.
I completely agree with this quote because I think there are muliple ways to
push yourself away from pain just like there are multiple ways to push
yourself away from peer pressure.

I also agree with Emily when she stated the Freak seems to know something
about life that no other person knows because of all his unique
personalities and struggles that he has gone through in his life. I think
that both Freak and Max work their ways out of pain.

Later on in the book, I think they, as in Freak the Mighty, will cross some
hills of pain, but, as the quote says , ³you can think your way out of
anything, even pain.²
94. Kayla A. | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Amanda K,
I agree with you. When you don’t think about what hurts, there is no pain and you don’t know that you even hurt yourself.
95. Jeffrey Rodgers | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Freak about the whole pain situation. You can always make anything seem better than it actually is. Especially with his imaginative mind. Once i had to under go stitches. It was a tough experience for me, as a 7 year old that is. If i were to go back and do it all over again i would have focused on the end. How much this operation would help me as a person and all of the positives to this experience. It would of made me a calmer. I would of kept telling myself that the end is near, that i can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I would fooled myself into thinking the doctor was a massage therapist and i was getting a massage on my leg. These are the things i would of done differently to make my stitching more pleasant. Also, why i believe Freak when he stated “Pain is just a state of mind You can think your way out of anything, even pain.”
96. Kayla A. | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that sometimes when you get hurt in any kind of way you may feel no pain until you acually look at what happened. The pain you feel is really just in your head and if you don’t think about it, it does not hurt. For example, when I got my braces put on, I did not feel any pain at all but when I started telling people about them I felt a lot of pain.So if you think about pain, you will have it but if you dont, you wont feel anything.
97. Kimberly | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Kimberly,
I think this qoute means how someone in the story felt.Elizabeth i totally agree with you. Your responce is so amazing. I agree with every question you said.
98. Amanda S. | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that you only feel pain when you think about it. I mean if you went out to ride your bike and you fell on your leg and now it REALLY hurts but you are far from home it is better to think of ways to get home then to think about your leg. Like before I was outside on the playground and I was kicking a soccer ball around and suddenly I looked away for a second and the next thing I knew I was on the floor with a bloody knee. I thought more about how I had fallen that I completely forgot about my knee. So Pain really is only as painful as you make it.
99. caroline | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that pain is just in your mind its not you are just thinking about it because you are scared of what will happen to you like if your getting a shot it dosen’t really hurt you just think so because the needle and that if you don’t think about it, it won’t hurt.
100. Farha R | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with Arianna. You wouldn’t actually feel the pain unless you notice it or you see it happening. When Arianna was riding her bike, she didn’t notice at all until she looked down. I also agree with both Freak and Emily. Pain really is a state of mind. You may not think your way out of mind but at least you won’t feel it unless you look. Pain really is a way of life.
101. Elizabeth H. | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

To add on what you said Mrs Zazzara…
Some peole can be strong be reminding themselves about things they find funny or memorable to them. I guess people can find a way to make mental notes push past the physical pain. I can relate to this from when I was learning how to ride a bike. I was confident that I would learn until I fell off I bruised myself. But I believed in myself and fought through the pain and tryed again. I know that pain keeps some people away from goals in life, and some people give up since they don’t attempt to try. I soon learned hoe=w to ride it and learned to keep going for what you want.
102. John Q | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Anthony,
I like your comment about the music video ONE because there is one thing in this world that stops us from doing what we want and that is death. I know it may sound harsh but it’s true. We are stopped by pain emotionally and physically all the time but that is not because it is too hard to push through it is that we give up trying to push through until it is our time to perish. People in Iraq loose limbs and some of their five senses every day but is that going to stop them from persuing their dreams or hold them back from fighting for their country? Only if they decide to give up, not because they aren’t strong enough.
103. John Q | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote is absolutely true. I think of Zen and the art of faking it when I think of this quote because a zen master needs to be able to stay calm and relaxed through anything. Especially pain because to them when meditating the only thing you should be thinking about is breathing. No matter what is happening around you the only thing you should be thinking about is breathing. I think if you can block out pain you can block out anything. A true Zen master can meditate for a day blocking out hunger, thirst, and all basic needs of the human body just because all their focusing on is breathing. Every human being can block out pain it just takes persistance, passion, and lots of training.
104. Alex Duke | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that you can control your mind to do anything you want, including pain. For instance, the skiier, Natasha Richardson. She had a bad fall, but didn’t feel it. She went into a kind of state of shock, where she didn’t feel the pain. It is possible to make yourself go into shock, where you can block out the pain. Unfortunately, blocking out the pain, doesn’t mean that it’s not there. I have never injured myself too horribly, so I can’t imagine what it feels like to have terrible pain. But, your mind can really play interesting tricks on you!
105. Emily F. | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Mrs. Z.,
One thing I think a lot about when I’m in pain
is when I’m in a fight with one of my friends.
A fight with a friend happens to everyone, but
not everyone thinks about it. What I think
about is what I did wrong, what my friend did
wrong, and what we both can do to make it
better. If I have pain like in school
(like problem in a subject) I’ll go through the
same thought process. That’s pretty much
all I think about. If I had physical pain,
I wouldn’t really think about it. I’d just let
time heal it. I believe that time heals any
pain, including emotional, physical, and mental
pain.
106. Andrew Ciccarino | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Anthony,
I have heard of that song too… It is very heart touching but he got over it and somehow survived!! Thats is also very inspiring to me.
107. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Anita,
Your response was so amazing…you really covered all aspects of the question beautifully! Your focus on pushing through the pain and that in the end there is something to learn or gain from it is so true. You have such incredible insight for a sixth grader. I am impressed with your response…well done!
Mrs. Z : ))
108. Arianna C. | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Elizabeth, I agree with you about Freak. Even though he is small he has a strong mind, so just because he isn’t strong physical Freak is very strong mentally.
109. Arianna C. | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that you can control your reactions and emotions. For example once I was riding a bike with flip-flops and my foot started bleeding but I didn’t feel it until I looked at it. So if I never saw I would have never felt the pain. That is what the quote is trying to communicate
110. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Elizabeth,
In what ways can people be strong? Can you share some more of what you are thinking? How does the pain make it hard for some people to give up?
Mrs. Z
111. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Todd,
How were you able to get through the pain? It seems as soon as we see the blood from our injury we feel the pain immediately!! Sometimes it’s better not to look!
Mrs. Z
112. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Anthony,
How do you think this solider was able to go out there and live his life? What type of people do you think he has in his life? Why was he able to go on?
Just some things to think about.
Mrs. Z : )
113. suezaz26 | March 23, 2009 at 4:24

Hi Emily,
I’m wondering what sorts of things you think about? What types of solutions do you figure out to get through the pain?
Can you share some of that with us? I’m interested to know a bit more.
Thanks!
Mrs. Z
114. Emily F. | March 22, 2009 at 4:24

Hey Farha! I totally agree with you. Pain is
only an illusion. It may hurt for a while, but
when you get over it, life does get better.
Also, I agree that there are three types of
pain. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been
Through all of them at least once.
115. Emily F. | March 22, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this quote because like Lauren
said “that’s just the way life is.” Pain is
obviously painful, but only if you let it be.
The pain is just going to get worse if you
don’t let go of it. Whatever you THINK is
painful will BE painful. Whenever I’m in pain,
I think it through and think of a solution. It
always works! Pain is just a state of mind and
can always be solved somehow.
116. Shannon Burns | March 22, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that when you get hurt
or feel any pain at all that it is just in
your head. It doesn’t really hurt, you
just think it does. I got my braces on about
two or three weeks ago and at first I felt
some pain from the pressure. It hurt when I
bit down on anything at all. Now I realize
that the pain was all just in my head. Your
mind thinks that it hurts but it doesn’t.
If you actually think about it when its
happening it really doesn’t hurt
at all.
117. Anthony P | March 22, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this statement because pain is all in your head. I also agree with Brain. There is a song called ONE and a soldier lost his legs,arms,hearing,seeing,and couldn’t talk. Docters said his life was over, but that didn’t stop him. He went ou and lived his life. There is always a way to think yourself out of it just like Freak said!
118. Todd R. | March 22, 2009 at 4:24

That sounds a lot like what my Dad and football coach would say. Except, Instead of pain they said cold. It also works for being hot or any kind of mood.
The worstpain I ever felt was when I cut myself with a swiss army knife on christmas day. I could’ve sworn I lost over a pot of blood. But, I stuck through to the end. Too bad Freak’s injury is life long.
119. Anthony P | March 22, 2009 at 4:24

Andrew I totally agree. That has happened to me with the taste bubs. Same with the positives of making something boring into something fun. My Dad always tells me ‘its in your head’
120. Amanda K | March 22, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this statement because when you think of something else that hurtful pain could go away for a little while. When your mind is fixed on something else then you dont remember that you have pain. Pain can not only be on the outside. It could inside as well. With freak and his leg disorder. He might not really feel plain in his leg but in his mind or heart. Now that Freak has a friend that pain might shy away for a while because he is happy and not thinking about his leg.
121. Elizabeth H. | March 21, 2009 at 4:24

I think that this quote means you should be strong and fight through tough times. I definitely agree to this qoute. I know that if you get hurt you don’t just give up. You have to be strong.I realizeed that Freak is a tiny, yet strong character in this book.
122. Anita Mo | March 21, 2009 at 4:24

Pain is something that everyone faces one time or another. You can’t change the fact that you will have to stare challenges and problems in the eye and say, “You are so difficult, and I don’t want to deal with you… but I’m gonna because I wanna get somewhere with life.” The one thing you can control is the way you handle and react to this suffering and pain. Freak decides to instead of lying on his back feeling sorry for himself because of his legs, he uses the part of him that can work brilliantly- his brain. By reading and studying all these different topics, he’s able to make up for his physical disability. I think that the quote is telling us that you don’t always have to feel pain, but you have to forget the pain and use something more postitive to push you onward. By believing that you have no pain and difficult situations, you make it come true. Suddenly, you feel like there is no true pain in your life. Instead, your love and joy has become its replacement. Freak’s love and joy is his wide intelligence. It’s his way of saying, “You’re not better than me just because I have leg braces and am short.” Pain may be a state of mind that everyone has to experience, but then again so can happiness.
123. Amanda S. | March 21, 2009 at 4:24

Hi Emily,
I figured out my thumb was bleeding when I looked down and saw redness. I don’t know how to put the pictures next to the words. So see you later. Bye.
124. Brian H. | March 21, 2009 at 4:24

I believe this quote doesn’t only focus on pain, but on everyday occurences. For example, Freak’s legs disorder doesn’t hold him back from experiencing the true meaning of life. Instead of sitting in the house all day and thinking, ‘how unlucky I am’, he goes out and makes the most of his day by using his large brain. This really enlightened me. Now when i’m hurt mentally, physically, or verbally, I say, “Hey, Freak never let his disorder hold him back, why should I let this hold me back?” I realize now that the more you think about the pain, the more it’s going to hurt. But if I think like Freak, and let my imagination run free, anything is possible.
125. suezaz26 | March 21, 2009 at 4:24

Hi Josh,
Read over your comment, there are some mistakes. The point you make about what your parents have to say about pain is wonderful, but can you tell me a little bit more about what your mom said, why do you think we need to experience pain (whether it be emotional, or physical)? Overall, a great response!
126. suezaz26 | March 21, 2009 at 4:24

Bernard,
You are really onto something here…read over your response, I think you left out some important words. What do you think pain stops us from doing? Share you your thoughts with us. I like how you talk about your dad having an influence in your own life. Nice job!
127. suezaz26 | March 21, 2009 at 4:24

Jessica,
Can you elaborate on the multiple ways one can push through pain? I’d like to know a little bit more about what you are thinking. Nice job tying in a response to Emily!
128. suezaz26 | March 21, 2009 at 4:24

Quincy, read over your quote…do you think comparing physical pain to a punch in the arm is the best example? You mention football, are there times when maybe practicing you start to get tired and your muscles start to ache, but you still have to continue practice? You mention “he” – who are you speaking about? Mention this person and how he may have influnced your life for the better. Your response is off to a good start…
129. Davey L. | March 20, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that anything is possible and pain is something everyone has to struggle through. Like the quote says pain is something that you feel because your mind lets you to, if your mind is strong enough you can fight through pain and learn not to let it hit you as hard as it does. Like Freak in the story, he probably has had a lot of pain through the years since he is disabled but he learned to have a great imagination and mind to deal with the pain. I think Freak is a strong person beacause he learned to fight pain with his mind, and now he could probably fight anything with his mind.
130. Emily L. | March 20, 2009 at 4:24

Thank you to everyone who responded to my comment!
Hi Amanda! You are not alone with the falling thing. When did you figure out that your thumb was bleeding? I have done the same thing. You’re right, you sure can push though any pain. I wouldn’t admit this to my old swim coach but, I COMPLETELY agree with her.

P.S. How do you get those cool faces to appear next to your comment?
131. Josh M | March 20, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this statement most of the times. Likes if I went to go get a shot I would tell my mom to give me something that i can squeze. It would always work but sometimes instead of squezing something I would think of something really happy. This quote reminds me of my dad he would just tell me to take the pain and he would also say ” after the pain you feel good that you took the pain.” My mom tells me pain is all apart of life and thats why hurtful things are made. When Max has Freak around Max willbe more clever.
132. Bernard H | March 19, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that pain is just a distraction, if your in pain you can’t try because your focusing on it. If you put your mind to it you can concore pain. Pain is something that stops you, but don’t let that happen. This quote sounds a lot like something my father would say, he tells me never to give up. This quote also means to never back down at anything. Pain slows you down, but trying stops it. Never let stop you from trying .
133. Jessica L. | March 19, 2009 at 4:24

I think that this quote means that pain depends on you’re mind to work you’re way out if it.
I completely agree with this quote because I think there are muliple ways to push yourself away from pain just like there are multiple ways to push yourself away from peer peer pressure.

I also agree with Emily when she stated the Freak seems to know something about life that no other person knows because of all his unique personalities and struggles that he has gone through in his life. I think that both Freak and Max work their ways out of pain.

Later on in the book, I think they, as in Freak the Mighty, will cross some hills of pain, but, as the quote says , “you can think your way out of anything, even pain.”
134. quincy S | March 19, 2009 at 4:24

I agree with this statement because if lots of pain you may be just thinking about it. For example if you are getting punch on the arm you may think it hurts when it is just a state of mind. Another example is that when I was playing football I’ve been hit very hard. But any time I started to scream he would always say it is all in your head and he was right.
135. Andrew Ciccarino | March 19, 2009 at 4:24

I think that Freak was correct. I think if you really dedicate your mind to doing something that you are or would be able to do it. Whenever you tatse something you think may not taste the best you or I try not to think about it, and just keep going. There you convinced yourself you wouldn’t taste anything or it wouldnt taste bad. Or if you don’t want to go somewhere you convince yourself it will be fun (or we can make it fun) and think of the postitives. That is another example this time you convinced yourself it will be ok to go and you wil get something good out of it. So Freak is right, you can think your way out of anything or everything!
136. Amanda S. | March 19, 2009 at 4:24

Tyler,
You are so right! Physical pain is hard to think out of because it is painful, but you can if you don’t know you are hurt. Like lets say you fell and you scraped the outside of your thumb and you didn’t know then it wouldn’t hurt. Like that old saying, what you don’t know can’t hurt you. But you do bring up a good point. I do agree though with your thought on mental pain and how it is easy to think out of. Like if you are depressed the best way to stop being depressed is to do something else. See you later.
137. Farha R | March 19, 2009 at 4:24

I believe that when Freak said “pain is just a state of mind” he meant that it is only an illusion. But in real life, there are three types of pain-emotional, physical, and mental. When Freak meant that, he was probably referring to emotional and mental. But think about when you get shots, before you actually get them, you are thinking “Oh my god, oh my god!” When you get them, it hurts physically. Freak must really want bionic body to go through all of that pain. Life is full of pain but once you get over it, life gets better.
138. Lauren L. | March 19, 2009 at 4:24

I think this quote means that pain can be extremely powerful but that’s just the way life is. Also, Pain comes and finds its way through everything, even if it really hurts or not. Most people think of pain as pain in the leg, or pain in the stomach, but in this scenario this pain is the kind that comes from the mind. Your mind is constantly playing games with you, but you have to “push your way through the pain”-like Emily said. Your mind might scientifically control you, but in ther real world your mind is just another part of your body. So you have the power to control your mind, your mind doesn’t control you, and you can exceed to the limits whenever your heart tells you. Meaning, you can be in great pain, but you can think your way out of it.
139. Amanda S. | March 19, 2009 at 4:24

Emily,
You are so right about how Freak gives good lectures! And I admire how this quote reminds you about your old swim coach, it is always nice to remember things from your past. I also think that what your swim coach would say IS true because once I fell and I was thinking so much much about HOW I fell that I didn’t even noticed that my thumb was bleeding! How funny is that? It is true though, if you can push your way through other things, why not pain? Please write me back Emily, well if you get a chance. Bye!
140. Tyler H. | March 19, 2009 at 4:24

I think that the quote can be true and false in some cases. By being clever and thinking things through you can sometimes prevent physical pain. That would be when the quote applys best. However, if you are talking about meantal pain you often cannot prevent it. Therefore, it is possible to think your way out of of mental pain, such as loosing a loved one or just being depressed but it is often hard or even impossible to think your way out of physical pain that can acutually hurt you in some way.
141. suezaz26 | March 19, 2009 at 4:24

Emily,
What a great response to start our “blogging”. I love how you made connections to your own life. Way to go! I also loved how you spoke about Freak and how his imagination is helping him cope with a tough situation. I hope the rest of the comments posted here follow your example! I am so proud of you!!!
142. Emily L. | March 19, 2009 at 4:24

This quote sounds like something my old swim coach would say. She alays said to “push through the pain” or “pain is optional”.
When I hear this quote it makes me think of Mykee Fowlin. His quote is “Bumblebees can’t fly. It is physically imposible. They fly anyway because they don’t know they can’t fly; they don’t care what scientists limit them to do.”
Freak would probably give a good lecture. He seems to know something about life that no other person knows. Plus, he has a great success story with coping medical disability. He turned a scary disability with his legs in his leg braces into being “robot parts”. He has a very vivid imagination! Freak would make a wonderful friend to another disabled child. I bet that’s why Freak and Max(learning disabled) are such good friends.