an anniversary of sorts

[the bean and the bandage, Chicago]

Remember this post? The one about the oh fun I seared my skin day?

Well, it's been a year, and despite my hopes and dreams to remain scar-free, it wasn't meant to be. I think this scar will be sticking around, despite the incredible care with sunscreen, bacitracin, and lotion. Alas. I will have to take solace in the advice of Albus Dumbledore:

"Even if I could, I wouldn't [remove Harry's scar]. Scars can come in handy."

Scars are an interesting reminder of past events---from births (sorry about the whole C-section thing, mom) to surgeries (Eric's "shark fight") and close calls...in my case, a close call with zucchini bread and the evil that is spray oil.

And while my scar is not a perfect map of the London Underground (it's more of a blob)...

[me and the flesh-colored blob just below my wrist]

...well---it's still a reminder of something.

For one, don't be an idiot and spray the handles of loaf pans.

But for the second, it is a reminder to think before I do things because there are sometimes preventable but unforeseen consequences. Steps that I can take to put me on the best path towards an amenable outcome (eg, use butter and flour to grease my pan instead of going crazy with Pam). It's a tenet we reference frequently in lab as well; you don't want to waste your time on experiments that aren't set up right, or you don't have exactly the right starting materials. You want to set yourself up for success.

And at the end of the day, I'm reminded to take a step back and realize that one big hurt can and does heal, but healing doesn't mean that it goes away completely. It will never really go away. And that's a good thing, if not for my vanity, for the rest of me.

Now---off to cook zucchini bread. I will not be beaten by a loaf pan.