A misplaced slice with a mandolin while preparing a celebratory dish of potatoes dauphinoise has provided one writer with a painfully literal fresh start to the new year. Lucy Mangan's attempt at a nice family meal on Monday resulted in the loss of half an inch of flesh from her thumb, an injury that has reshaped her week and her outlook.
A Culinary Catastrophe Cuts Deep
What began as an act of new year optimism—cooking a special meal for her family—ended abruptly in the kitchen. While slicing potatoes for the dauphinoise, Mangan severely cut the ball of her thumb on a mandolin. The immediate consequences were both painful and profoundly inconvenient, stripping away basic daily functions. The author found herself unable to touch-type, handwrite, or even unscrew the lid from her morning coffee jar, tasks she identifies as critical to both her personal and her household's survival.
The incident brought a cascade of minor frustrations, from the fuss of keeping the wound clean and dry to the memorable ordeal of removing an initial cotton wool dressing. Yet, it also delivered an unexpected philosophical result. The accident, she notes, "knocked that optimism into touch and restored me to normal levels, which is to say – none." This injury-induced clarity has left her feeling equipped to face the coming months with "brutal honesty, courage and low expectations."
A Week of Cultural Observations and Personal Anxieties
The culinary drama capped a week of digested news and personal reflections. Mangan expressed horror at the invention of so-called "longevity scales," like the Body Scan 2, which promise to analyse dozens of biomarkers and deliver daily health scores. She pleads with regulators not to approve such devices, arguing they would transform a bathroom corner into a site of daily dread rather than simple weekly weight checks.
On a brighter note, the writer embraced the Irish tradition of Nollaig na mBan, or Women's Christmas, which falls on January 6th. This custom, historically a day for women to rest and socialise after the labour of the festive season while men managed the home, is seeing a revival. Mangan, honouring her Irish ancestry, has resolved to observe it annually, suggesting anyone with a hint of Irish heritage do the same as a small act of respite from patriarchal norms.
The week also brought news of a different kind of departure. Mangan lamented, with theatrical heartbreak, George and Amal Clooney's decision to take French citizenship, seeing it as a loss for Britain after their decade residing in Oxfordshire. She bid them a fond, if wistful, farewell to enjoy their Provençal estate and stricter privacy laws.
From Birth Anticipation to Thumb Tribulations
Personal life provided its own tensions. Mangan described being "beside herself" with excitement for a friend whose baby is due imminently, battling the urge to point out the incredible reality of birth despite having no religious faith herself. This contrasted sharply with her own Friday reality, dominated by her injured thumb.
The tangible impact of the kitchen accident served as a grounding, if irritating, counterpoint to the week's broader themes of health, tradition, and celebrity. Where new year optimism once flickered, a practical, if pained, realism now resides. The experience underscores how quickly daily life can be upended and how our most basic abilities are often taken for granted until a simple slip renders them impossible.
