Every year about this time, it is the same-- the excitement, the frenzy, the panic, the flurry of news stories all about one thing that is completely unchanging. It is hot in Phoenix.
It is treated as “breaking news,” as if this was an unusual occurrence. It is the topic of conversation- specially among those new to the valley. People inside buildings enjoying the cool comfort of air conditioning, are constantly checking the internet to see what the temperature is outside, whether they will go outside or not. Inevitably, some television producer will attempt to fry and egg on sidewalk, and someone, somewhere will make some “apologetic” comment about “at least it’s a dry heat”- as though that really makes a difference over 118F (in the shade mind you). Someone else will say, “But with the wind-chill it only feels like 114.” And finally someone else during the day will say “It’s only 48…Celsius”-which helps only as long as it takes to do the math or take a deep breath outside.
The fact is, this is Phoenix. This is the Sonoran Desert. In the summer, it is hot.
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I am a Phoenix Native. As a young boy I ran across the “blacktop” barefoot, my friends and I ran around the neighborhood with our toy guns, playing “army.” We climbed trees. We rode bikes. We ran through sprinklers in our shorts, we swam in the neighbor’s pool, and we even drank water straight from the hose. Somehow we survived. Perhaps what contributed to our survival was KPHO-TV 5 in Phoenix ran “Wallace & Ladmo” (you have to have been from here) at 3 pm, and most of us were inside watching TV by the time the heat really hit between 3-4 (the hottest part of the day here is about 3:30-4:00 pm- not just after noon like in many places). Or perhaps it was we knew that the biggest part of staying cool was to come in out the heat- black and white TV or no.
I do suppose the one good thing about having days like this, is it dispels the notion from “foreigners” (people from states other than Arizona) that for some reason we actually need daylight savings time here—We DON’T. After all, who needs an extra hour of 118 in the shade!
Advice from someone who grew up here--- Keep hydrated, keep out of the sun, and stay indoors!!!
