Hello. Please enjoy this moment of calm before I absolutely freak it. Ready? Here it goes. WHY do we love to hurt ourselves, as humans? Every person I have ever known has this weird sense that they must put themselves through pain in order to be fully human. I say no. I want to live a comfortable, plushy life, sitting amongst my blankets in sweatshirt material from head to toe, and I think you would be lying to yourself if you thought differently. So WHY do we continue to use clear push pins? I know they are more aesthetically pleasing, but at what cost?

You see, last weekend I went to a local vintage shop here in town to find some new decorations for my apartment. I was excited. It had been awhile since I had changed things up and I was looking for something fresh in my life. I came across a pile of old postcards and found some inspiring pieces of the world around me. They were enjoyable, so I bought them and stopped by Walgreens on the way home to purchase some push pins so I could hang them up when I got home.

Now, this next part is exactly what I am talking about when I say humans like to hurt themselves. I looked at the two options, clear or colored push pins, and for a moment I thought about getting the colored. However, as an adult, even thought I knew the danger, I figured that the clear push pins would look nicer in my place and went with them instead. I have regretted this from the moment it happened.

If you have already figured out where this is going, good for you. I am sure it is because a similar tragedy has befallen you or a loved one, and for that, I wish you the best. On the other hand, for those of you who are lost, let me help you out. When I got home from the store, I was very excited to put up my new decorations, so I ran up to my room and busted open the bag of pins. I carefully removed them one at a time and used them to hang the various things I had bought earlier, much to my satisfaction. In fact, I was just about to post an Instagram pic showing off the new setup when I accidentally knocked the container of push pins onto the floor.

And while at first I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find them all against my white carpet, I felt confident that I scourged for all of them and went on with the rest of my day. It wasn’t until a couple of days later as I was getting ready for work that I would realize my mistake. I ended up stepping on not one but two clear push pins, forcing a noise to escape my body I can’t quite explain. Now, I know I’ll never be able to trust push pins again, especially clear ones.

So, again, I ask, at what cost? Beauty? Would you rather live in a life of comfort or beauty? I know where I fall.

This article was written by Nathan Ellwood, who has unhinged his soul from the burden of time. Follow him @NPEllwood.