And You Think This is Hot!

Jenn Cohen | August 1, 2012 | 0 Comments

by Torch

The summer heat is frying our brains and patience. I saw the quote “And you think this is hot!” on a church banner. We have had firestorms, and violence both unprecedented. Yes, when it is hot people get cranky, start thinking crazy thoughts, driving like morons, and of course leaving all the wrong stuff in the car to melt; from the gummy bears, which turn to a gummy blog; lipstick, which becomes an art project upon clean up; to the dangerous and deadly act of leaving small beings who cannot get out on their own. Heat is no excuse for bad manners, conflict, and malicious idiocy.

Chill out! If you feel your temper flaring and you know it is because you’re hot, go home, down to the basement, get naked on the tile floor with a bag of otter pops and chill out. Pull out of traffic and wander aimlessly in your favorite air-conditioned environment like Good Will, or the mall, if your wallet affords that. Plan for the day, bring ice, have a Slurpee, treat yourself to Dairy Queen.

We have been riddled with violence and fires, but community and caring have become the heroes of this season. If you feel like you can’t help, start close to home. You could give food to a food bank, money to the Red Cross, give blood, thank a fireman or police officer, pick up trash in your neighborhood, mow somebody else’s lawn out of pure kindness, or give a cold drink to someone who is hot. We all need some hope, a hug, and maybe a little assistance to get through this summer. This is not now, nor will ever be, known as the summer of Love, but it is the one thing that will get us through it. If you are hanging out at a free, or otherwise, concert, bring some extra cold waters for the friends you have yet to make. It is okay to be kind to others; a simple act can ease suffering you cannot see.

We can’t allow the villains to win. City Park belongs to the people of this city, not the gangs. The joy of sitting in a theater with family and friends, ready to go on a movie adventure, is not something to be taken away by the heinous insanity of one man. We are stronger than that, even as we stand in shock, and broken hearted. Hold strong on to the very roots that make this country great, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” You can help insure domestic tranquility by being a part of your community, talk to your neighbors, lend a helping hand, instead of flipping the finger.