BOIL

A watched pot will not boil.

I used to wonder what this meant. 

At some point, I had decided that this phrase was the explanation to a recurring situation in my life, where I'm starving, temporarily insane from Kraft Mac n Cheese withdrawals, and the closer I look and wait for the water to boil, the more it actively resists and taunts me.

Which then made me boil.

We've all heard of somebody or so-and-so having been "boiling mad" at a person or event.  Does this happen in the same manner that water begins to boil?

Let me get very scientific and highly specific for a minute: the molecules in the water begin to expand and bounce around until at some point the have to separate and eventually jump into the air in the form of a gas.  (For you Newton wannabes out there...don't bother trying to fully explain this to me.  Not only will I not grasp the concept, I won't care.  Science is NOT my strong suit for a reason: we mix like oil and vinegar, haha.)

Anyhoo....is that what happens when a person gets boiling mad?  Their cells start to heat up and shake around until the poor soul has cells evacuating by the minute, unable to accommodate their own body because of the sheer volume of expanding cells? 

And, if this is true, can you avoid boiling by watching your pot?

Hmmmm.  Interesting concept.  If I go through life "watching my pot" or expecting that not everything will make me happy, I have a much greater chance of avoiding the dreaded vaporous state of extreme anger. 

Is this possible?

I don't know.  But I do know that I can watch my pot and see what happens. 

I walked away from my Pasta Roni for a couple seconds and returned to find a full on turbulent roar of bubbly Butter and Herb Italiano. 

I was so looking forward to it, but upon first bite was forlorn to discover that what I had really wanted in the first place was just a bowl of some damn Kraft Mac n Cheese. 

This could normally be the potential for anger and frustration on my part.

But I'm already watching my pot.