The Sacrificial Flesh

I see the nurse’s face change when I explain, “No, I sliced the tip of my finger off yesterday at 12:30pm, not today.” PSA: if you need stitches, make sure to go to acute care within the first 24 hours.

The past 33 hours have brought a steady stream of questions from professors, friends, and family: “Did you pass out?” “Can your finger count as a chunk model?” and, of course, “How did you circumcise your finger?” My own questions cut deep: “Will the critics notice this drop of blood on my topo?” “How did my priorities get so scrambled?” “What am I really willing to sacrifice for this degree – or for this vision of my career in general?”

Back in the exam room, I clarify to the on-call doctor that it was a clean cut with an Olfa knife. He nods. “Architecture?”