Remember When 102 Was Hot?

I used to live in Southern California. Where it was hot. And when I say hot, I mean over 100 degrees hot. The kind of hot that melts your butt and makes it stick to the seats. The kind of hot that makes you want to sell your soul for a few minutes in an air-conditioned anything. The kind of hot that causes you to accidentally wander into the walk-in freezer at the liquor store.  And then stay there for a few minutes while you get your bearings.

We moved to Monterey eight years ago.  Monterey, where "hot" is anything over 70 degrees.  I scoffed at this when we first arrived.  I carried a sweater with me in the summer.  You know, because to SoCal peeps, anything below 70 degrees is Uggs weather.

Well.  That has all changed.  My daughter got married on June 20 a couple of years ago and it was the hottest day on record for the little coastal town of Pacific Grove.  A whopping 83 degrees.  I, and all the other wedding guests, were sweating like it was the tropics.  Forget fancy hair, we were lucky to be alive in the scorching sun.  If you look at wedding photos, everyone has that face they make when they just want to get out of the sun and into the car where they can blast the a/c on the freezer setting.  Just take the damn picture!

We are in for a heat-wave this week.  The weatherman is sending out those old people and dogs warning because it is going to get up to 75 degrees by the beach.  Prayer chains are being sent out for those who suffer from heat exhaustion.  Cooling stations are being set up for the homeless.  The vendors are stocking up on the hats and sunscreen and those fancy little hand-held fans that spray water.  Anything to keep us cool.

Remember when 102 was hot?  I find myself scouring my closet for the natural fibers and loose clothes.  I am foregoing my embarrassment over flabby arms and pulling out the sleeveless tops.  Hey, I might be able to actually create a breeze if I flap my elbows a bit.  I'm ready.  Bring on the heat.

Have you seen my big floppy hat?  I'm going to need it.

FUGGLY & THE WONDER KITTY

When he was little, Fuggly was a butterball of lazy energy.  Why stand when you can sit?  Why run when you can mosey?  Fuggly just figured out that slow was better and you couldn't entice him to go any faster.

Wonder Kitty was a full-grown momma cat when Fuggly was introduced into the family.  She outweighed Fuggly by about two pounds and proceeded to teach Fuggly who the Alpha Animal was in our household.  She would lay in wait, hidden just around the corner from the refrigerator, hoping Fuggly would lumber by.  When he did, she would reach out her dainty little paw and smack him right across the nose.  Pointy parts extended for maximum damage.

Fuggly learned to run because of Wonder Kitty.  He would see her and freeze, then turn and dash away, putting as much distance as possible between her razor-tipped weapons and his sensitive nose.  Pretty soon,  Wonder Kitty didn't even have to wait for him.  She would catch Fuggly dozing in the warm sunshine, saunter by, and stop and stare.  In his sleep, Fuggly could feel her watching him and he would slowly wake up.  When he realized he was within striking distance, he would yelp and run as fast as he could to hide between his human momma's legs.

Well.  Fuggly grew up.  And grew some more.  And then grew even more.  Fuggly, it turns out, wasn't a "terrier mix" as promised by the shelter.  Nope.  Fuggly was a mutt alright, but he had the brains of a Dalmatian, the legs of a horse, and was the size of a Great Dane.  He outweighed Wonder Kitty by about 100 pounds.

But all Wonder Kitty had to do was drift past Fuggly, tail waving in the air, and stop.  She would slowly turn her head and make eye contact with Fuggly and he would go into shock.  He would whimper and run and hide.  As much as a dog the size of a miniature horse can hide.

This got me to thinking.

What sort of things have we carried forward into our adult lives that still evoke a puppy fear reaction?  What sort of Wonder Kitty issues have we carried forward that keep us from realizing our strengths and our abilities?  What old beliefs hold us back from living the life we were meant to live?

Fuggly never got over his fear of Wonder Kitty.  But then, Fuggly was a dog with the brains of a Dalmatian, the legs of a horse, and the size of a Great Dane.