Matter, Energy, and Life of Michaela A. Castello.

Best Foot Forward


It all started when, perhaps inspired by the “Breaker” fighting style in Yakuza 0, I decided to stand up with a spinning ninja move. Being somewhat long of leg and short of proprioception, this action resulted neither in the cracking of skulls nor in achievement of the standing position. Instead, I sustained a superficial impact abrasion to the instep of my right foot. While not harmful, the event made me hyper-aware of that portion of my “pedal zone” throughout the workday, and particularly appreciative of the additional comfort provided by my new sneakers.

Alas, the damage was not yet complete, for later in the evening, while making air-pop popcorn, a failed kernel, superheated yet lacking the crucial drop of internal moisure, was ejected from the machine. Typically such foes are contained in the bowl, but not this specimen. Making up for its lack of motivation to explode into fluffy goodness, it instead launched itself out of the bowl and lodged itself tightly between the first and second toes of my already-wounded right foot. I rapidly became aware of its smooth surface searing my skin and attempted unsuccessfully to shake it loose. Using a fine pincher grasp, I extracted the offending seed and flung it onto the counter.

Melting the butter, I looked down and noticed that a blister had already begun to form.

The offending kernel.

You may also enjoy…


Want more? Keep up with the hottest content.