Nashville Heat Index: 113 degrees. No Respite For Those On The Street

"I pray thee, good Mercutio. let's retire; the day is hot, the Capulets abroad, and, if we meet, we shall not 'scape a brawl'
For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring."
William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 1

Blazing hot heat advisory today but not yet at the dreaded "heat warning" stage.    Reminds me of when I was living homeless in the Central Valley of California, hanging at some camps down on the Feather River. Those of us who were forced into the blast oven during the daylight hours were surly, dangerous and ready to snap at the slightest provocation.  The only respite for this kind of weather for many of us without air conditioning and access to places where we could hang out in it, was to head into the water of the Feather and remain there throughout the day.

These are the kinds of days that people get killed for stupid shit. Tempers on those who are forced into this heat for prolonged periods are at a flash-point.  That folks are unable to sleep well in hot weather impairs their judgment, further hampering their ability to control themselves (and who knows what substances have been used to try and escape the heat as well, lending further impairment to one's judgment).

For those on the street, this time of the year is often filled with agony.  Whether you're living at a bench, a tent in the woods or in a vehicle, my heart goes out to you because I know the sheer misery of dealing with the heat.

For those of you who are housed, please remember this when you're safely ensconced in your air conditioned car and you zip past someone today who is standing out in heat that feels so heavy it's pushing you into the sidewalk and scrambling your brain at the same time.  Think about them tonight when you're settling into bed, the ac set to 68 and a nice fan breeze blows across you to keep you cool.  Remember when you're drifting off into dreamland that homelessness has a new face, and many of the people now living on the street used to be your neighbors, your colleagues, and those you've done business with in the past.  And many of them have children who are out there with them, as well......