Hot

Where I live we are currently experiencing a heat wave. Granted, it’s a two day heat wave and temperatures, while unseasonable hot are, in fact, relatively minor (just two 90° F days). Still, in my part of the world when the mercury reaches 90° or over people freak out (that’s how we roll in the Pacific Northwest where meteorology is a contact sport). One of the things people do when it gets “hot” is head to one of our numerous lakes and rivers (apparently some people can’t endure a couple of hot days without a dip). Yet even though our air may be frickin’ hot, our lakes and rivers are still icy cold. Experts warn that despite 90° temps, you can still catch hypothermia in such cold water.

Not only is this a perfect illustration for people’s overreaction to relatively banal weather conditions, it’s also a perfect example of why temperance, caution and stability are important. There has to be an axiom or a proverb in here somewhere: just because the air is warm doesn’t mean the water is too. You must understand that even if it’s 100 degrees or 50 degrees, it’s not always wise to jump into a body water, especially if the only reason for your plunge is because your “hot.” Sometimes the most prudent action one can take is just being uncomfortable and suffering through the “hot” conditions. All you have to do to apply this model to other areas of your life is just substitute the key phrases. Just because you “love someone” doesn’t mean you should “dive into marriage.” Just because you like “Law and Order” doesn’t mean you should take the plunge and “become a police officer (or a district attorney…or their hot assistant).”

So the next time the mercury gets closer to 100 than to 50 think before you irrationally leap into the first body of water you see just because you think “you need to cool off.” Also, I should probably add—in the interest of full disclosure—I hate swimmers and all recreational activities concerning water, but still I think I have a valid point.