Something bit me on the ankle – most likely a spider – while talking with a neighbor one evening. By the next morning there was a blister 2 cm wide and 0.7 cm high (yes, I measure things). I drained the blister 6 times over 2 more days, noticing a growing black spot in the middle. The necrosis left a shallow crater about 0.2 cm wide, and then a thick scab grew over it. The skin in the area felt too-tight.
The scab came away after 12 days, with fresh pink skin underneath. No crater. No black spot. I might have a faint scar from this. The too-tight feeling is gone. Healing appears to be complete.
How does the body know how to repair damage? Old cells are removed. New cells replace them, but the repair growth knows when and where to stop. Scientists have learned a lot but there are still mysteries here.
I suspect there are fractal insights here about how social organizations work. At least, healthy social organizations where forgiveness and reconciliation are functioning.
