hot spots

When I think of a hot spot the first thing I think about is a fire when the firefighters look for the hot spots to stop the fire.  We all have hot spots that get our attention in positive ways and negative ways I would guess.  And they might be different for different folks I would guess. Probably the #1 worldly hot spot is money and then maybe power, but I really don’t know.  SusieQ says--Maybe love ranks up their toooo. What do you think?  BigTena says—I think food is another one I like!

A friend asked me what my hot spots are.  Wow! No one ever asked me that before.  One hot spot that I have learned to appreciate being in the Valley of the Sun this last winter is the emotion of being loved and loving.  I have seen and talked to many folks who are lonely at different levels.  I appreciate and bask in the feeling of being loved by folks such as family and friends and a special person and loving them back. Part of being loved and loving is having folks care about me and also me caring about them.  It’s huge massive to me. One hot spot that gets me excited on the negative side is seeing folks getting taken advantage of (i.e. that really hurts me, it can tear my heart out, particularly the underprivileged).

When in FL I would get up early and go for a walk. A couple of mornings there was this maybe 70-year-old guy sitting in the lobby, just sitting there. Sooo the next morning I sat down and talked with him. I asked Jim why he is just sitting in the lobby—I’m waiting for my wife—waiting for your wife, I don’t get it—I get up at about 4:30 and she gets up about 8:30 sooooo I just sit and wait for her—you do this all the time—ya, at home in New Jersey I sit on the patio and watch my friends, the deer, a fox and a couple eagles each morning—how long have you been doing this—12 years.  He said—I really love my wife. Soooo is this love or crazy? Love does affect us differently. Have you ever been in love? Are you in love? Have you thought you were in love but weren’t really? Have you didn't know you were in love but were? CrazyMarvin says--Love does make us want to do crazy things but it's such a great feeling!  

There are a lot of ways for a man to show his wife that he loves her. Oh ya! Frank told me, erv, I haven’t talked to my wife for three months—really, how come—I love her soooo much that I didn’t want to interrupt her!

CadillacJack says--“Maybe you’ve heard the tongue-in-cheek admonition ‘Be careful what you pray for—you might get it.’”  Sooooo, I asked my special friend if she would write about her hot spots.  She said she would (i.e. that was some time ago but she stuck to her commitment) soooooo here we go!  Personal hot spots.. interesting to think about both positives and negatives. I generally describe hot spots as things that happen which trigger strong responses. We all react differently based on our beliefs, values, and experiences, so one event might trigger a strong response in one person yet not affect the next person. My positive hot spots usually are usually related to family and friends and fill me with joy. When my son-in-law’s cancer went into remission, when I play with my great grandchildren, when my grown children are happy and fulfilled, when I feel love again after my dear husband’s death are some examples. I know it’s a positive hot spot when joy fills me so full that I overflow with laughter or happy tears. That spot is right in my heart and soul. On the other hand, my negative hot spots can bring anguish and grief when the trigger is a family member or good friend who is suffering.  I have to watch that when that hot spot is targeted I don’t let it debilitate me. Triggers such as social injustice, homelessness, bad politics, disasters, and world conditions bring emotions like sadness, anger, deep concern, sometimes calling me to action, but more often result in feelings of helplessness. As a younger person, I was too quick to react, causing anger that was not helpful, as in fight or flight. Maybe it was my red hair. As I’m graying, I’ve learned to manage my hot spots better, take a step back and think about the situation. I think about whether I can make a difference or is it simply draining my energy. We have options. So is there such a thing as cold spots?

This isn’t really a hot spot but it might be!  It is folks who are not open minded; they sorta kinda get under my skin.  Do you like to be told what to do or preached to?  I don’t think anyone likes to be preached tooooo but some folks think they know everything and preach like they do; some do think that way let me tell ya! haha We are all independent folks, and all make up our minds even though maybe we are influenced by much stimuli (i.e. some we don’t even know about)!  It appears to me that when folks make their own decisions and take their own actions, it is better.  We all make our own beds but then we have to sleep in them. But we don’t always like other folks’ actions and decisions.  Maybe we should think about being more tolerant and accepting of others.  At times this can be hard toooooo stomach!  It’s like giving a gift with strings attached! Then it isn’t really a gift anymore but a business transaction.  ItchieBitchie says—Yabut erv, it is soooo hard to watch some of the decisions our children and friends are making! How can they be soooo radical! Could it be that we are the radical ones? MissPerfect says--Who What Me? Never, not me! Soooo one afternoon on our mission trip it was slow as there weren’t any folks at our site to interview. I was sitting there and fell asleep in my chair. One of our captains took a picture of me.  She thought I was going to fall out of my chair and get hurt—I texted her and said—Who what me!

Alfred Lord Tennyson once wrote, “A lie that is half-truth is the darkest of all lies.” Certainly, it can be one of the most difficult to squelch (i.e. a real hot spot). You can refute a blatant lie with the facts, but a half-truth lives on in suspicion and innuendo, persisting despite your best efforts to silence it. Have you ever been told a half-truth and got hurt from it.  I like real folks with good hearts.  Half hearted folks not soooo much.  It’s maybe another hot spot of mine.

Sooooo when I got home from my mission trip in FL I went to our post office in our little town of Aplington to pick up my mail.  Sparky the postmaster, that is what I call her as she is sooooo sparky and nice, said--erv, where have you been, I was worried about you. I was ready to do a wellness check on you in your house--oh, I filled out a hold mail but something must have happened--don't do that to me erv.  That's small town Iowa in Butler County.

Sooooo we were going down I-85 near Atlanta and Larry gave me advice about a hot spot he thinks I and Doris, my kid sister (i.e. his wife) have.  He thinks we have a “show me” attitude. It’s an attitude that we are sorta kinda pessimistic.  He sorta kinda wonders if we wonder if it’s going to happen; we want to see it first.  He thinks it’s maybe because our parents died when we were quite young, and it really impacted us like being a big disappointment and we have that in our heads subconsciously.  Could be!  He’s pretty darn smart let me tell ya!  Soooooo he thinks I should change my attitude about a situation I’m in to what Admiral David Glasgow Farragut once said--“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.” That's not just his opinion but his honest opinion!

Warren, there aren’t tooooo many Warrens but there are some good ones let me tell ya, tells of a frontier town in which a horse-drawn wagon with a little boy was racing through the streets. A young man risked his life to stop the horse and save the child. The rescued child grew up to become a lawless man and one day stood in a court in front of a judge--the now-grown young man who had saved his life. On the basis of their prior relationship, the convicted man pled for mercy. The judge responded, ‘Once I was you savior, but now I am your judge.’ I sentence you to your just punishment. Soooo think through that will ya! That might make your ulcer act up!

Do you and I have erosion in our lives? When I got back home, I found a lot of erosion in my ground cover area of my yard. There must have been a lot of ran. Maybe the erosion in our lives is something we always don’t notice until it has been going on for a long time and then we have a “Grand Canyon” which is pretty difficult to correct without some really major work. I mean major! It appears to me that love is a major force that can correct erosion in our lives.  What do you think?  That is what I thought.

When I got home and before I leave again this morning for a family get-to-gather, I felt that I had a lot to do around my house. I sorta kinda felt a little anxious. But what I did first in the morning was my mediation/devotions and then went for a long walk on the golf course. I needed to get my head right first. Talk about not having my head right. When in FL near one of our interview locations was a thrift store. My kid sister, Doris, bought some hand painted Delft from Holland.  She thinks she got a bargain (i.e. as long as she thinks she did that is all that counts), and she really liked it; she sorta kinda collects this stuff.  She was soooo excited.  Sooo she took it out of the box and showed me.  I said “oh!” I should of got more excited. I disappointed her. I bet if she would have shown it to another women, they would have said all kinds of good stuff even though maybe they might not have meant it.  I think she should have shown it them and not her big brother!!!! haha

Some family members use a lot more tact that others. A friend told me the story of one of their family members.  When he doesn’t want to do something with the family he says—I would love tooooo but I’m busy sorting my socks in my sock drawer!

Soooo Evelyn, not everyone can be an Evelyn, showed me how to use Google lens to find out what they are asking for anything on eBay (i.e. sorta kinda find the value of something)..  It was slicker than a whistle.  She does a lot of buying and selling and says she makes some money and enjoys it.  Sooooo, on our data questioning we asked clients if they have some talent that would help in their recovery or help someone in their community.  A client told me she has a lot experience with the computer and could help people.  Soooooo, I told her my story about Google lens.  She said to me—erv, where have you been all your life! What a hoot!

Soooo Linda, another gal on our team, bought something from the thrift store as well.  She was telling Pete, her husband. and me about it.  She was all excited. Pete said—I have a rule, she can buy anything and put in in our house but she has to take something out; we don’t need more stuff in our house.  I think ol’ Pete’s bark is much harsher than his bite.  He loves Linda soooo much; I think he melts like butter!

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean said--One of the finest accomplishments is making a long story short.