reminders about my powerlessness

We are in the midst of a heat wave. I have chosen to adjust my schedule accordingly.

I am running slower, bicycling slower, walking less, and even spending less time on my motorcycle. I have blacked out in the heat a few times before. I have crashed my bicycle before at times when I might have been a bit distracted by the heat. I have a hard head, but I have slowly learned that I am not invincible. I have learned to respect the heat and acknowledge my vulnerability.

I am writing slower. I do not want to waste a lot of energy trying to keep this room cool when it poorly insulated. I do not want to add to the afternoon heat by running my big monitor in the afternoon. I know I could finish the chapter I am writing this week if I focused on it. Instead, I will spend this week editing other sections and wait for a cooler time to push forward.

I have yet another reminder of my powerlessness this morning. As I was running I passed a homeless camp. The homeless around here like to keep dogs. They need them for protection against thugs that come to harass them at night. They also use them as burglar alarms. Today one of the big dogs came charging at me while I was running. In an instant I was reminded of my powerlessness. This dog weighs about as much as I do and it is all muscle. So I stopped, held out my hand for her to sniff, and then gave her a good rubdown. She did her job. She kept me away from her owners.

Powerlessness. There are reminders every day.