The Ritual
I don’t usually make toast.
But I do toast bagels. Not in the toaster—an everything bagel belongs under the broiler, where you can flirt with disaster properly.
Not in the toaster. That thing lives in the appliance garage, right next to the bread machine I swore I’d use.
No, I throw the bagel on a sheet pan, shove it under the broiler, and wait. Or at least, I try to.
I like my bagels almost burnt. Just shy of should I be worried? I want the poppy seeds to crunch, the onions on top to darken, the whole thing to smell like a bakery and a campfire had a baby.
Then comes the Amish butter from Detwiler’s, a hit of flaky salt, and if I’m feeling bold—which is most of the time—a dusting of garlic powder. Sometimes onion powder too. I don’t play favorites.
The Distraction
But some days, I get distracted.
A text buzzes. A DM pops up. Something shiny flashes on Instagram.
And then it’s gone—the bagel, the four minutes I promised myself I could stand still, the chance to just be in one place.
Instead of waiting, I’m chasing notifications like they’re more urgent than breakfast. And just like that, the kitchen smells like burnt sesame and poor decisions. The Lesson
Still, I’ll eat it.
Maybe not the pitch-black ones, but the overdone, extra-crisp, questionably toasted ones? Those I actually like. They’ve got character.
Here’s the thing: burnt toast isn’t failure.
It’s just what happens when you’re human, hungry, and pulled in too many directions at once.
It’s a reminder that not everything needs saving or redoing.
The Lesson
Still, I’ll eat it.
Maybe not the pitch-black ones, but the overdone, extra-crisp, questionably toasted ones? Those I actually like. They’ve got character.
Here’s the thing: burnt toast isn’t failure.
It’s just what happens when you’re human, hungry, and pulled in too many directions at once. The same thing that ruins a bagel can ruin your morning, your plans, even your mood if you let it. But sometimes the mistake isn’t as bad as it looks.
It’s a reminder that not everything needs saving or redoing.
The Takeaway
Sometimes all it needs is butter. And salt. And a better attitude.
So if you burned your toast this morning, don’t toss it. Try it.
Life’s rarely perfectly toasted. The edges get dark. The middle sometimes sags. Eat it anyway—you might find it tastes better than you expected.
