The worst of my cold or flu—whatever it might have been—is long over, but I am still struggling with my nose. I keep blowing it, but to no avail. Snot galore. Before I shave every morning, I rinse my nose with cold water and clean it as thoroughly as I can. This is what I just did. When I blew as hard as I could, a heavy piece of bloody snot flew out, landed close to the top of the sink, and then started wriggling its way down the slippery side. It looked alive. Grossed out, I splashed it with water, and it vanished down the sink. How quickly the remotest semblance of life grosses us out! And especially when it is so close to our bare skin.