Extreme Respect

I remember once we had to cut our cricket game short in Saudi Arabia. I would go out with my friends at around 8am to play the game. But on this one day, the temperature soared to 50^oC (122^oF) by 10am. Add to that over 90% humidity. Now, we could still play cricket at around 46^oC (115^oF) but this was too much. The vigor and stamina just seeped out of our bodies. We unanimously decided to call it a day at 10am.

My home was two blocks away from the ground, yet on the way I stopped sweating. I felt incredibly dizzy by the time I got home. My mother saw me and knew right away that something was wrong. I was burning up. She quickly got some water, added glucose to it and had me drink it. I laid on my bed with the air conditioner on for about half an hour before I got enough energy to get up.

I could still go out in that extreme temperature to buy groceries, get a haircut or wash the car but any real physical activity was out of the question. That's why it's truly amazing to see the American soldiers in Iraq wear their helmet and kevlar and carry around their weapons and ammo in such inhumane conditions. Add to that waking up in a pool of sweat. The American soldier takes a lot of heat for us.