We saw my friend Paul on the beach today – he was smartly walking instead of swimming due to the bloom of Portuguese Man-o-war (tiny jellyfish) in the bay (there’s a picture of one inside this episode). Me? I swim regardless, and curiously enough was planning to talk about how “bad” my arm looks from a sting a few days before. I wanted to show it to you so you could employ mind over matter to unplug the automatic responses we have to wounds and ugliness. Talking about change is one thing, but actually having opportunities to make change in our neurons is another. Not to worry; it will be all gone in a few days. Let that weigh in as you look at my spotted arm.
Hawaiian Word:
ʻōiwi: appearance, physique
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“Change happens by making change, not just by talking about change.” Thanks for the great thought to start my week!
As I meditated on the above quote from Rox in today’s podcast, it occurred to me that perhaps there is a natural evolution to making change. First, by raising one’s awareness that change is needed (for me, usually from an outside source, such as today’s podcast, or viewing something that give me pause), then by thinking about change, then perhaps talking about change, and finally, making change. Additional thoughts, Reefers?
Aloha Rox — It is a good thing that you do not experience any serious side effects to the Portuguese Man o’ war sting. Maybe beyond mind over matter, possibly you can absorb these stings well because you are also fit and healthy. Many others handle the sting as you do, too. However, there is a sect of the population that has been documented with serious effects to a sting, including fever, shock, and interference with heart and lung action. The venom can travel to the lymph nodes and, although in extremely rare instances, death has even occurred. Medical attention can become necessary with those with extreme reactions. It is prudent to remain informed before sending children or grandma out into the surf with these ‘physalia physalis’ bobbing around…
As the great baseball player Satchel Paige once said, “It’s mind over matter, if you don’t mind, it don’t matter.”
However, playing with fire can be dangerous. Be careful Rox, the pain you spare might be yours.
Makamaka
i so was in need for this today…
Thank to everyone for asking Rox to be careful. I’ve asked the same of her many times. These stings actually do affect her, and even this small one had her kind of loopy the day after she was stung.
Funny enough, although she is in MUCH better physical shape than I, these stings don’t even leave a mark on me? They irritate and itch for about 5 minutes and that’s all. I count myself as very lucky to be made from such hearty Iowa farm stock! 🙂
Well, sometimes in my brevity and optimism I neglect to state the other truisms. Yes, jellyfish stings are neurotoxins. Some people can have serious reactions. I did say that Paul was smart to be walking, while I – ahem – was not. 🙂 Someone in fact was telling me about a tiny little jellyfish in the South Pacific somewhere that can kill you in a few hours. Now that is a real “eek!”
…and we’d hate to say “eek!” about our inhouse geek 🙂
Frankly, I was so distracted seeing your lingering sting marks that I missed the point of what you were saying! I’ll be sure to revisit it, as many gained some positive insights from what you said. Interesting that you mentioned neurotoxins, as I did specific research about neurotoxins over the weekend. A close friend’s black lab “Hank” became violently sick suddenly, after being perfectly fine, and the symptoms all pointed to a neurotoxic reaction, maybe from blue green algae contact, a poisonous toad, scorpion, or snake. Hank pulled through, but after a 3 am run to the doggy emergency hospital 20 miles away, and then there for 3 days. Timing was critical, but happily, all is well again.
@Susan – Very glad to hear Hank is OK. Lexi got into something a few years back. We think it might have been the same jellyfish Rox ran into on that same day while they were both swimming….?
Around Midnight she was up and pacing and panting and we rushed her to the animal hospital. By the time we got her there her face was so swollen she could barely open her eyes. She looked like a completely different animal. A shot of Benadryl and she was fine about an hour later.
Very scary…
OR, it could have been a fire ant bite as she was also seen eating the bananas that had fallen to the ground in the back yard.
“Some things we just don’t understand.”