Taking Precautions On The First Really Hot Day Of Spring
Why we now treat hot days with respect and how the Divine saved me during a major wake up call of going through near heat stroke from pushing too hard and too hard in the hot sun.
THE DAWNING LIGHT # 89 Friday April 28, 2023
Photo Credit: Chinmayan “A Hot Day On Still Mountain”
Taking Precautions On The First Really Hot Day Of Spring
Even a week ago. I would not have imagined that this afternoon I would be sitting aboard my tiny home with a powerful fan set on high.
I am grateful for the cool wind it sends across my body which would be sweating otherwise. Today is the first really hot day this year, with temperatures in the 90’s outside.
It’s taken us by surprise, when not long ago we were having one below freezing night after another.
I know it probably sounds nice to now be having much warmer days—-after going through months of intense cold.
And it is in a way, because we would rather be too hot than too cold any day.
But, after going through many heatwaves here in the past few years, we have learned to treat hot sun and high temperatures with caution and respect. As if they are a coiled rattlesnake that will strike if you push too far.
Today is one which has reminded us of the realities of hot weather.
For many years, I used to be a weed whacking warrior who would work hard and heavy in the full sun and afternoon heat, just because I was caught up in that old “have to get it done cuz I got so much to do” attitude.
I was unstoppable until I had a heatstroke.
It was one of life’s wake up calls which I heard loud and clear.
I was pushing too hard for too many long hot days.
Even with a sweat band, stinging drops of sweat rolled down into my eyes as I worked. I was feeling really hot and thirsty and pushing to do “just a little bit more” before I would be quitting for the day.
I didn’t notice that my body had passed into being way overheated or the warning lights flashing in my brain.
Suddenly, I felt nauseous and weak, staggered and almost fell as bright sparks of light danced in front of my eyes.
I had never had heat stroke before, but I knew I was in serious trouble.
I staggered down hill towards my truck, but fell and couldn’t get up. I could feel the sun burning through the shirt on my back and knew I couldn’t lay there.
Realizing I was in serious danger gave me a shot of adrenaline so I was able to slowly crawl the rest of the way to my truck. I started it and put the truck’s air conditioning on full blast as I stripped off my sweat soaked shirt and cap.
Fortunately I had plenty of water and had enough sense to sip it even though I wanted to gulp it down by the gallon.
I was alone, with no one to call for help.
I didn’t have health insurance then, so did not even consider going to an emergency room.
As soon as I felt I could drive, I headed down off the land I had been working on to make my way back to Still Mountain.
I was hallucinating as I drove and nearly passed out several times, but I have long since trained myself to have an iron will in dire situations and kept myself on the road.
I was praying for The Lord’s help and protection the whole way and felt the divine presence taking care of me and keeping me awake.
Finally, after what seemed like years, but was more like half an hour, I pulled into the driveway of Still Mountain and stumbled out of the truck into the cool shade of its spreading oaks. But my body felt like it was on fire on the outside while I was having chills on the inside.
I went into the building here and ran a deep bath of cold water and laid down in it until I felt my body cool off and then staggered to my bed and passed out.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan “A Really Hot Red Sky Day From Wildfire Smoke From Fires Burning All Around Still Mountain in 2020.’
I later learned that I had had gone through just a touch of heatstroke, and was very fortunate.
It truly was a wake up call.
A full blown heat stroke would have been much worse and probably left me weakened and damaged for life….
I knew in my heart that the divine had protected me, had gotten me home and saved me from a terrible affliction.
Since then, I have great respect for hot, sunny days like today. I have heard from my inner guidance that this summer will be the hottest ever, with several prolonged heat waves.
Because we had gotten a Heat Advisory on our phones, we knew what this day was going to be like.
To mitigate it and protect ourselves, we decided to get up in the coolness of the dawn to do the outside projects we need to do and work only until mid morning. It was already hot by 10 am, too hot to be safe, so we retreated to the safety of our tiny house and the cool winds of this fan.
This is the schedule we will keep from now on, whenever there will be hot days this spring and summer.
I know from experience that exposure to direct hot sun can take our bodies into the danger zone before we realize it, because it happens gradually.
But nowadays, we are wise enough to recognize this and we take no chances.
After all, it’s better to be inside with the cool winds of a fan flowing over me, and doing things such as writing this newsletter or praying and meditating and enjoying the day than to be pushing ourselves too far outside in the vain attempt to get more things done.
In this way, we make the best use of every one of these precious days—even the really hot ones!
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
Image Credit: Still Mountain Meditation Center
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Thanks for those words of wisdom! Sometimes I don't know when to stop. So I am living vicariously through you!