A is for Anatomy*

Yes, I have a giant medical chart of the human digestive system on my living room wall.  Purchased recently on e-bay for about $30, it measures 43" x 63", making for one big wall display.  It is one of the first things people see when they enter our apartment.  From their reactions, I would guess that people either love it or are too polite to say otherwise. 

My unquestioning decision to hang this piece so prominently, from the oral cavity right down to the rectum, represents some of the things I value about my upbringing.  I worked in a neighbor's antique store during high school and my aunt and uncle own an antique/vintage/junk (in the best sense of the word) store.  This diagram dates to 1946 and once hung, complete with the pull down roller shade, in a medical school classroom, now it sits over an antique trunk in my living room.  I love the history and stories that come with old objects, and the new life we can give them in making them our own.  On the flip side, my grandparents taught on the university biology faculty at a university and made sure to incorporate science learning into all elements of life.  Lichen growing on craggy rocks was used to dye fiber, microscopes analyzed lake water samples, and successful fishing trips provided a glimpse into the recent diet and organ systems of our catch (Most famously we found a mole in a bass' stomach.  That was one hungry fish).  This enormous anatomical chart makes me thankful to have grown up in a family that embraces both biology and the repurposement of unusual items to make a house a home.

In a more concrete sense, my choice for the letter A also represents a renewed commitment to my health.   Living alone as a grad student has taken its toll on my gym routine.  It's hard to get out of bed when it is below zero and B is not here to physically drag me out into the cold.  Maybe this public pronouncement will spur me to regularize my jaunts at the gym. 

*I joined the 2008 ABC-along in January and immediately fell behind.  I'm playing catch up this week to join the rest of the pack.