Sunday, June 13, 2010

TOTES another GUEST post for SUNDAY: Worth the Wait

I burnt my tongue today. 

As I sat in the kitchen waiting for my lunch to be ready already, bouncing my legs and watching the cars scoot by the window little did I know today would be the day I obliterate my taste buds once more in the name of hunger. Well, more impatience.

To really hone the point with this, we're going to have to scoot back a week ago or so when I was stood in the grocery shop mulling over my options in terms of food and what not. I always have difficulty with food, I'm so fickle. 

So as I stood there, not quite sure what I really felt like a jar caught my eye. A shiny beautiful jar of OMG yummy pasta sauce, something I rarely treat myself to. So very rarely. Stroking my chin I list off all the reasons absolutely not to buy the sauce, to go without because I never normally go with. Eventually my sudden longing wins out and I pick up the object and sprint off to the tills before I change my mind again. I'm proud of my decision. I will save this for later.
(from b's profile at www.flickr.com)

Now we can rush back to me, sitting on the blue couch, watching cars narrowly avoid collisions as I wait for the pasta to boil. I'm hungry, but it's more than that. Today I get to use the sauce, today finally after all the waiting I get to treat myself. It's weird but I'm actually excited at the thought.

Sighing, OBVs, because I've got that action down to a fine art now, I hop off the couch and skip over to the pan. It's been about five minutes or so, that's a generous estimation. I don't care. Boldly selecting my utensil of choice (a fork) I stab an unsuspecting pasta shell, blow on it and then pop it in my mouth. 

Um, I find out that it's still pretty hot, like BURNING HAVE TO SPIT INTO THE SINK OUCH AHHHHH hot. That hot.

I know, stupid. Unthinking. What did I think would happen? So after I yelp and cry a little and then decide I'm too hungry to wait until it actually cooks properly anyway and now I'm in severe pain, I stir in the sauce and resolve to enjoy it anyway. I have been holding out for this.

So, uh, it turns out that the ZOMG THIS IS SO DELICIOUS sauce doesn't taste so nice when you've just completely burnt your tongue. At all.

Of course, initially, I took this as a sign that the day was just going to go badly and moved on. I shook a fist at the sky and shrugged it off. But now I'm not so sure. As I sit here, glancing in the mirror and sticking my tongue out occasionally, because it feels like I've torn off the skin too, I realise the true reason for my pain now. I spoilt something great with my impatience again.

                        (from k's profile at www.flickr.com)
I just want to say one thing as I sit here sucking on an ice cube and cursing the fact this does nothing for my klutzified reputation and I probably have just earned myself at least minus a gazillion Coolville's points, never do that.

Don't ever let your longing for something so great, something so pure, as (for example) being published get in the way of actually enjoying the ride, of calmly surfing the wave instead of exhausting yourself paddling ahead (and, quite possibly, burning your tongue). Take it from somebody who now knows, impatience will be the ruin of you.

It's difficult, of course it's difficult, who said it'd be easy? But I guess we must all learn (myself included) that sometimes in order for things to be worth the wait you first have to hold out for a really long time. You've got to learn to enjoy the wait, they journey. 

Patience is one of the best virtues out there. Take it from somebody who now will have to explain to her parents, brothers, grandmother and extended family this weekend that she can't actually eat that right now and ZOMG can she please have some ice because she only wants ice as she burnt herself yet again, take it from somebody with a pretty cheerful temperament, that impatience, the incessant counting until tomorrow, It'll kill you if you let it.

(from n's profile at www.flickr.com)

So don't ever let it.

p.s. By the time you read this several days will have passed since SAID incident, hopefully everything will be A ok 

p.p.s It's not, I still had to explain my constant need of ice and cold food 

p.p.p.s PLEASE don't start thinking I clearly need help, I do not. Yea I am clumsy but I AM NOT DEAD YET. 

p.p.p.p.s Don't go all EDWARD OMG YOU WILL DIE on me after this either, it's fine. I survive.

7 comments:

  1. Great advice, Mia! I definitely get caught up in the end result and need to enjoy the journey more.

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  2. Until that last PS, i was TOTES about to go all EDWARD OMG YOU WILL DIE but in less of I'M GOING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN way and more of OHNOES SAY IT ISN'T SO kind of way.

    That said, you're alive, so no EDWARD OVERREACTING, and I <3 you, and....and...AWESOME post! I love how cooking and food and writing all seem to be very copacetic with each other.

    And no, I'm not old enough to remember when using that word was cool.

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  3. I do that ALL the time. I hate waiting for food to cool down. As far as publishing goes, I think I'm pretty lax about it. I fiddlefart around too much to feel a lot of pressure.

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  4. I love that you tagged this post with "apparently I'm the only one who tags around here."

    also-- I think everyone is guilty of burning their tongue on pasta! I mean, how else are you going to get it done to perfection? if you blow on it forever to cool it down, by the time you've tasted it, the pasta in the pot will have cooked further and POSSIBLY be overdone! WE CAN'T RISK IT. ahem.

    I mean. I hate when that happens. And also-- I agree. Patience is key! but it takes some practice...

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  5. ZOMG you CHEAT you never SAID you were SO WISE!!

    (patience = not tessa's strong suit)

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  6. You are very wise, indeed. Burning your tongue hurts! Ouch! But relating that life lesson to publishing is genius! Love it. :)

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  7. Best. Advice. Ever

    *Hands Mia some more ice*

    *Learns lesson from Mia*

    *Writes on chalkboard 100 times: I will not be impatient to publish or eat sauce*

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