Sharing Our Stories

Yesterday at church I chatted with an older lady I admire. She softly touched my arm to get my attention (perceptive; she's noticed that I don't respond well to people just coming up and beginning to talk to me), and we commiserated about the summer. "I would like to be outside more," she said, and I know JUST how she feels. I've penciled so many events in my calendar, and tentatively invited friends out to lunch with me...IF the weather allows me out:( Today for example is an "Ozone Action Day", where riding the bus is free so more people are inclined to use it (hopefully), and home owners are asked NOT to refuel their cars or use lawn mowers, or do anything really that increases ozone/decreases air quality. Since air quality is already at a minimum. This includes using charcoal lighter fluid! Did you know that was a concern? I had no idea, but it makes sense. All that smoke and ash in the air, plus that hazy, distorting plume that forms around it--frankly I'm glad the powers that be in environmental issues is putting their foot down. These kinds of days make it very difficult to go out and generate blog fodder though:( When it's THIS hot, so hot that it's dangerous, plus the allergy levels are deemed "in the dangerous for sensitive individuals" range--I can't take the chance. That's why I thank God my church is so close; just a two minute walk in decent weather. Uphill on the way there, yes, but the downhill slide (not including the effort it takes to keep the walker in front of me and not go careening to my front door without me) is pleasant. The only thing that bothers me about it is the last second before I enter the apartment building, if a street person construes the rapid stutter steps I take as "running" and comments that I should "be careful" or asks me if I'm okay. THAT can "mess me up" for the rest of a day. Or it used to. After three years of dealing with it, I've developed a skin tough enough to deflect those comments pretty well, so that I'm able to just go home and forget about them. Yesterday was even kind of lovely and cool following church, as I've mentioned, which made it even more worth it to spend some time out doors. Today though? Not so much. I'm this close to crawling back into bed with a good book and a huge glass of water and just pretending the world outside does not exist:) No offense to the world, of course! I just can't imagine if I was visiting friends out in California right now, or how hard it must be for the disabled girls I follow on Twitter who are ALSO dealing with a major heat wave right now. The Bay Area of California, England, France...all are dangerously hot, particularly if you can't move very fast:( I know what THAT's like, God knows. All I can say is I'm very lucky to have blog fodder in such a close area that is, for at least one day a week, packed with friends who know exactly what my struggle is like:)