Do you ever think  about tipping points?  I do. Whatever you call it, the break even point, the point of no return, the inflexion point, the crescendo.  It is the point at which things change course. They stop being one thing and start being another.  It is sometimes the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Usually, you only know the tipping point in retrospect.  

I am an active person.  A couch potato would probably still not know she has a heart condition.  My heart works well enough to meet my needs when I am not exerting myself. But because I work out with a trainer three times a week and have for decades, I know the moment that something is off.  When a 10 pound bicep curl becomes suddenly difficult. When I have to lower the speed on the treadmill in order to catch my breath.I can almost guess my heart rate at any given time, just like I can almost guess my weight each day when I get up. I push myself and I pay attention to what my body is telling me.

So, how did something like this blindside me? I’m guessing the cells of my heart have been weakening over time, but the strong cells were able to compensate for the weak ones until they weren’t.  At one specific moment in time one cell made all the difference.  One bad cell replaced one good cell and that was all it took.  The tipping point.

I attended a cooking demonstration the other day.  Chef Pedro showed us how to properly cook scallops.  I’ve cooked scallops and they are tricky.  Very difficult to get just right. Pedro showed us how to brown each side to just the right color until there is only a small white line of uncooked scallop in the middle.  Take them off heat at just that moment and they will continue to cook to perfection on the plate.  That is the tipping point.  But, if you somehow miss that moment of perfection, cook them one whole minute more and they will become edible again.  Not perfect, but edible.  They get a second chance.  Have you ever heard of such a thing?  I’m not sure how this relates to my heart or to anything for that matter, but when Pedro talked about this scallop having a second chance, it brought tears to my eyes.