The Heat Wave

Writers need to “cut to the chase” - make our points quickly! I agree. In this article, I actually am!

I just watched my national news this Saturday evening as I do each evening and I felt sorry for those who are dying or are ill or are disabled by the heat wave. I have good news for you. I have ways for you to FEEL better very quickly and it won’t cost you anything!

I am a free-lance writer, college teacher and son of a man who raised me in the warm Los Angeles, California weather.

Many people who were raised in the mid-west snow country - weather from 50 above to 20 below is of no great concern to you! To me, I feel like a popsicle. NOW, if you were to watch me
I am not boiling, not hindered and not paralyzed by the heat. I was raised in the heat. I am an Anglo if that matters.

When my dad used to do yard work in Los Angeles, Ca., in 1952, it would often be 115 in the shade. Since people learn behavior from our parents, and since my dad was a sun worshipper, I also learned to love the heat. I could be kidding and say I hated dad keeping my brother and I in the searing heat, but in truth, he did not do any such thing. He was comfortable, shirt-less and loved to putter on our 1.5 acre land as he weeded and did other land maintenance chores. We even had contests to see who could guess the temperature that day in the SHADE. I often won. We never had contests to see who could STAY in the sun the longest because it would have been a boring contest. My brother and I [he is 2 yrs younger] and my dad HONESTLY loved the heat.

I moved to Phoenix in 1980 and rarely had the air conditioning on. I do belatedly hereby apologize to the few guests I had visit my home who mentioned casually “I am sorry your air conditioning does not work.” I would get a bit embarrassed and responded that it indeed did work and that I did not feel warm enough to turn it on - it was only 105 in the house.

I will admit that since I am no longer 8 yrs of age or 30 yrs of age, thus, my body does react a bit differently to heat. However, I have been laughed at many times by good intending friends when we guess about the current temperature and I guess about 85 when it is 105. I just don’t feel it. When it is over 118, I begin to feel hot, I will admit that. But when I was 35, I was not feeling hot till it was over 125.

Many of you would like to now know “ok, super duper Kemper, what is your secret?” WHY do you not feel like basted beef?

1. HOW one reacts to cold or heat is attitude. I never would have thought that, but it is true. ONE can say “this is killing me”, or “baking me” and if you say that [or the opposite as I hate the cold, “this is freezing”] you will feel more heat/cold OR you can say, this is nice and warm; [or as I say, during winter, “it is going to get warmer soon, so I am going to be OK”, or “this is nice and cool” or “I am warm” - using the power of positive thinking/reinforcement]

2. I drink cold drinks often, but I do not do so as a martyr. I just drink them.

3. I wipe my face often but I do not say “wow, am I hot.” In my case, it is because I am not feeling the heat. If you just wipe and not say things that announce HEAT, you will FEEL less heat!! That is a fact.

The body responds to your attitude about its surroundings. HEAT, cold, fire, water, etc.
IF you just feel WARM and not HOT, you will deal with warmth and not hot. AS you do what you must for health reasons [replacing the fluids lost], it is an excellent thing to discuss how COOL you will soon feel. Discuss it, feel it, and imagine it. IF it is desired that you feel cooler, you will soon feel cooler. WE begin to feel what we discuss and think about.

Same with pain. We feel less pain when we focus on things OTHER than pain. WE feel less heat when we focus on things other than heat.

4. Dress lightly if you want to feel cooler. Why some cities require their cops to dress in black when it is over 100 degrees is putting vanity above logic.

5. Do not do work that requires life or death decision making if you feel hot. Extreme temperatures upset the chemicals in the brain. THE LESS you feel heat, the more you can easily think. I do strategizing when I walk or jog. I can do it without any problem. NOW, in the cold, I cannot even remember my name easily. And yes, I do focus on Not feeling cold when my body shivers. I just think of warm things.

Hope this has been of help. IT is possible my NDA has been altered to not mind more heat than the average person can handle - I don’t know but I do hope my “life in the warm lane” has been of help to you.

Email Article To A Friend Social Bookmarking Tools close window

The Heat Wave

Send to: (separate e-mails with commas) Your name: Your e-mail address:		Additional note:

Promote this content by clicking on the bookmark icons below.
	Facebook   LinkedIn   Yahoo My Web   StumbleUpon   Buzz		Myspace   Digg   Technorati   Netscape		Twitter   Del.icio.us   Slashdot   Reddit More Bookmarks »

Save For Later

close window

The Heat Wave

Type in your e-mail address below to receive an automated reminder to come back and read this piece of content. Your e-mail address will not be used for anything other than the automated reminder.

Your email address:

 

Share

 

Save For Later

 

Publish Yours

 

Print