Life is interesting sometimes and sometimes it can be very challenging. Life is also full of irony. The heat in Texas at this time is a challenge and I know Beltsville also has its share of the heat challenge. Recently I was complaining about the temperature being 101 degrees in the early evening—must have been after 7 p.m. on the day in question. A friend in Laurel sent a screen shot of the dashboard on his car – it displayed 103 degrees.
The irony is this: speaking to a friend in England, she complained about how it is raining non-stop over there. Communicating with someone in South Africa, she indicated that while we in the USA are complaining about heat, it is winter for them over there. Life sure has its ironies. Heraclitus, the ancient philosopher was right, Life is a constant flux. You never step into the same river twice as it is constantly flowing.
Please stay hydrated in this weather. It is not only about consuming the right liquids, one has to wear appropriate clothing, pace yourself at work or during exercises and more importantly get in tune with your body. Understand when your body tells you it is time to slow down. This is the time of year one has to increase consumption of certain types of fruits and vegetables. Also, if you have the resources, kindly plant a tree or two. It helps in the long run.
At work this year, we planted five fruit trees for Father’s Day – apple, apricot, peach, nectarine and I don’t remember the fifth one.
As I type this article, we just had a little shower of rain, more of a light drizzle – and just like that it is over. Irony!
Folks, the world is too small for all the chaos and hatred. Just this week I read a story online about two friends in Dallas who got reunited after a twenty-year gap. They both live in Dallas. One was an Uber driver and the other a passenger. The Uber driver stopped to pick up an assigned rider and during the light conversation about the heat, something triggered a spark – not sure if it was the voice or something else. Rider asked the driver for his full name, and when the driver responded, the rider said, “I know you.” The driver reportedly turned to glance at the rider and was stunned. They had worked at a popular club in Dallas, that shut down over twenty years ago. One worked security and the other in the kitchen, but they would spend time talking as they cleaned up after patrons had left. The story went viral and apparently there are memes out there.
Suppose there had been tension during that uber ride and then they got angry at each other, unknown to them that they knew each other --- again the irony of life.
I will end with my own experience. On a Saturday night in DC, I had an Uber request to pick up a rider outside a popular night spot on K Street Downtown. I pulled up, traffic was chaotic, so I had to circle the block. The rider called to question why I was leaving, and I told him I was impeding traffic while waiting for him so I was coming back. We eventually found each other and so we headed in the direction of Rockville, I had a party of three riders, we dropped the female rider off, along the way. The rider in front had engaged me in conversation as I worked in Baltimore and he was from the same zip code where I worked, so we were just talking casually. Dropped him off and it was only the rider in the back with me. He commented on my choice of music to which I responded that I listen to all types of music. He said he does a little song writing too. So I told him to share his info with me so I can look him up on You Tube. I asked him his name and I took a second glance when he responded with a sheepish grin all over his face. In the back seat of my car was an alumnus of Beltsville’s High Point High School, Grammy-nominated r and b singer, Raheem Devaughn. Look him up on You Tube. He was cool, we had a nice conversation about music and life and then of course I took a picture with him, and we exchanged numbers.
Be nice and respectful as you never know who you will see as you go about your daily grind! That’s it folks! Have a great month.
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