ABSTRACT
The activities involved in telling a story about suffering presuppose another important activity of suffering: finding meaning in suffering that can be connected in a reasonable and rational way to one's self, past and present circumstances, and worldview. Related to the activity of suffering is the fact that, too many respondents, inactivity results in suffering. Likewise, engaging in an activity that shows no product or result can be a source of suffering because failure to produce demoralizes. The case of Mr. Bryan shows that just as activity mitigates suffering, as it did for Mr. Sparks, who chose to be "active" in his grief, inactivity in itself can be defined as suffering. Mr. Bryan guards this important locus of activity—his mind—because this is the place where secrets are kept, personal battles are fought, choices are made, suffering takes place, and decisions about the existence of God play out.
