It’s Hot

It doesn’t take a genius or even a weather man to know that the dog days of summer are fully upon us. All it takes is stepping outside anytime that the sun is up ( and well after the sun is down) to know that the heat is on. When the thermometer rises the amount of patience of the general public drops accordingly. Hey, I am certainly not judging and I am certainly not immune to the symptoms of exhaustion from the heat( not to be confused with heat exhaustion which is a medical condition that is also a part of the dog days of summer). Yep, I, too, am twice as irritable as a wet cat and for those that know cats that is really, really irritable. I understand the desire to let the middle finger do the talking but it is during these times that we must reach deep inside for our better selves.

One only has to spend a few minutes at the intersection in the Historic Town Square in Dandridge, the political mecca of Jefferson County, to see the frustration oozing from those trying to navigate the crowded streets. New bridge aside, the recent road work in the area ( which has resulted in closing streets and access to businesses) has put a serious crimp in what is already a fairly congested spot during heavy traffic times. Not ten minutes ago a large van, complete with a pit bull riding shot gun, almost took off the front end of my car as it was parked on the side of the street. Workers trying to fix gas issues are spending their time staving off those irate that one part of the street is closed. To say that the atmosphere is tense is an understatement.

I, too, get irritated especially when driving on interstate and I hit a pot hole large enough to mine from. Yes, I make disparaging comments about the use of my tax dollars and may even use colorful language about some of those that reside in Nashville and their ability to govern. But, that is all from the privacy of my car and is not for public consumption. In public, I grind my teeth into something that resembles a smile and try to realize that EVERYONE is uncomfortable and a little grumpy.

So, the next time you are sitting in line waiting to pick up your child from school, focus on the gift of having a child to pick up and not on the length of the line. When navigating an intersection in town, keep in mind that an extra minute in a 24 hour day is a small piece of time and really has no impact on your day. And when the sweat starts rolling and it seems like everyone around you is about ten IQ points from having any useful function, remember that if you let the dog days of summer drive your interactions it just may come back to bite you. As for me, I am turning down the air conditioning, putting on some mellow music and imagining October when the days are cool, the nights are crisp and the sign language is not predominately waving the middle finger ( she said with a rather contorted grin).