The Weather and Your Health

My daughter asked me what I was going to blog about today.  “I won’t be talking about politics,” I told her.  “People who read my blog are trying to get away from politics.”

Then occurred to me that perhaps I should follow Professor Higgins’s mother’s advice when she was advising her son about how he should converse with his newly recreated former flower girl, Miss Eliza Doolittle.  “Perhaps,” she said, “you should stick to the weather and your health.”

Health is out.  My readers have heard way too much about my health, your basic case of Too Much Information.  And in these days, even the weather has become politicized.  So the weather takes us straight back to politics.

In addition to that, while we’ve been having a pleasant and relatively cool summer here in Seattle, the rest of the nation has been suffering under a killer heat dome.  So my initial reaction was that I wouldn’t talk about the weather at all.  

And then I opened an e-mail from my brother.

My mother always used to say, “A wise man changes his mind.  A fool never does.”

And so I changed my mind, and decided to talk about both the weather and politics after all.  

The image in the e-mail took my breath away.  I was unable to secure permission to post the image, but here’s the link: 97.3 The Eagle.  

The image is of a photo of a soldier in full combat uniform walking under the hot desert sun.  The message reads:  

I was going to complain about the heat today, but then I remembered:  

It’s not 120 degrees. I’m not 5,700 miles from home.  

I’m not in full uniform and carrying a 70 pound pack.

I’m unlikely to drive over a bomb today.

Yes, I believe that when it comes to talking about weather AND politics, that certainly puts things in perspective. We can have our messy political fire fights.  We can complain to high heavens about “all those other guys.”  We can vote.

We’re the home of the free because of the brave.

12 thoughts on “The Weather and Your Health

  1. I saw that posted on FB. It puts things in perspective doesn’t it? We folks at home have a lot to be thankful for. God bless those who are in the service.

  2. Thank you for reminding us. Too many don’t see our military as heroes anymore; just those in Hollywood.

  3. Yep, sure puts things into perspective doesn’t it. I couldn’t carry a 70 lb pack even without the heat. My personal thought is all politicians need to spend a month walking in those boots then vote on veterans affairs.

  4. Thank you for changing your mind! Right after 9/11, our military were treated like the heroes they are, but we are gradually sinking back into the same anti-military attitudes that were so prevalent after Vietnam. I dare anyone to spit on my Army son and husband or my Navy daughter in my presence. I may be an old lady, but I **will** kick some butt!

  5. Thank you for another wonderful post. How easy it is to forget how much our troops sacrifice every day to keep us safe. I couldn’t begin to do the things they do, and because of them I’ll likely never have to!

  6. My Mother always said “Never talk Politics with guests. ” well she was right but EVERYTHING comes back to Politics. It seems like a never ending nightmare.
    I am so excited about your new book. I read that your killing off sheriff Brady parents. I am hoping it’s a mistake. We have enough sorrow in real life.
    Have a great week, The Olympics are comming with FOOTBALL to follow. So Politicians WHO?

  7. Have seen it before.
    My experience was 100% humidity and temprature.
    Thanks for that.

  8. I was surprised when so many comments on Facebook talked about women now being able to envision anything for their future. I feel the greater victory for equality came when women were allowed to finally serve right along with men in the battlefield.

  9. I met an EMT at a concert last night who spent 4 years in Vietnam, 29 years in our fire department, and now works with the coast guard. His kids are trying to get him to retire, but he feels his work for other’s gives back for all the death and destruction he saw in Vietnam. Working on the water is cooler and close to home too.

    Thanks for all your books.

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