Hot Places

Tight Hot Places. I hate them. Really.

I strongly believe that if when I die I am not in God’s good graces, I will die in a very hot place. I also believe that to be a little dramatic though. I am just too spoiled with technology. Computers, air conditioner, internet, big screen tvs, special mattresses, you name it..I’m used to it. I’ve realized that I am probably more spoiled than I thought I was.

I remember living in Mexico when I was younger. We had no air conditioner and playing with trucks and action figures (or monitos, as I used to call them) at the ruins next to the apartment complex was the greatest thing to do. Being in the sun was not a big deal for me, in fact they used to yell at me to come inside when it was too sunny. My grandmother will tell me to play later, when the sun was not so strong. “Esta muy fuerte el sol.,” she would say.
Before they couldn’t keep me from being outside playing, skating, or riding a bike. Now you can’t keep me from being inside. I have learned that we might not only get wiser with age but also a bit more lazy. I hate it actually. I am not sure what happened between band practice of summer of 2000 and now. A few years later and I am a total different person. I look whiter, I don’t tan as much and skating does not seem that exciting. Even working out must be done indoors.

Part of me does not want to give up commodities because I feel I deserve them for working so hard for what I have. Part of me does not want to feel that I am taking one step forward and three steps back. Part of me wants me to have what my parents couldn’t give me all the time so I may give that to my children when I get the chance. Part of me doesn’t appreciate it until things are taken away.

This Sunday my air conditioner went out and even though it was 105°F according to Wal-Mart it is now officially “heater season”, I know, go figure. So yeah I had to buy little window unit at Home Depot and wait until someone fixed the unit. The unit will probably be replaced but that’s not the point.

The point is that I hate being hot. I hate showering and changing only to be sweating by the time you make your way down the stairs.

I was shopping for fans and a young man from Wal-Mart told me he was not from there but as far as he knew it was heater season. I though he probably just transferred from another store. I asked him if he knew of anyone else that was still carrying fans. He replied,”No, I’m sorry I am not from here. I’m from New Orleans.”

My heart just sank. There I was bitching because it was a little hot and uncomfortable in my home and there he was trying to make a living to have a home after he lost everything. I felt like such a selfish jerk.

We just take too many things for granted. I thought I had problems and then I realized how stupid I was acting. So my body hurts from laying on the floor because that is the only part of the house that has a fan, but at least I have a home, I am safe, and I have not lost my love ones. I thank God that he pushes me hard enough when I need it, so that I can realize how blessed I really am.

When was the last time you thought you had problems and then took a good look around?