My Vegan Superpower

How pathetic is it that one of the things I'm most proud of in my life is my pain tolerance? There are few things that boost my self-esteem as much as being able to do something that other people can't do because it hurts too much. I remember once, back when I was in college the first time, I was with a group of "friends" (I'm not going to go into the reason I put that word in quotes. Maybe later.) and one of them brought one of those trick lighters that shock you when you try to strike them. They all took turns passing it around, pushing the button, then immediately throwing it down, often with a shout. After they were done, I picked it up held the button down for probably close to thirty seconds then calmly placed it on the table. They all started at me like I was psychotic, but I felt like a fucking superhero. I have also been shot with a paintball and consumed a spoonful of pepper spray for the same reason, just to prove that I could do it without flinching.