Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDLIII

The temperature outside was a frigid, bone-chilling 61 degrees Faranheit. Well, maybe 61 is not really THAT cold, but you would think it was by the way my friend, Phil, was preparing for it. I watched as he put on a heavy jacket and zipped it all the way up. Next he pulled a warm beanie cap down over his ears, followed by some black leather gloves on his hands. All that for 61 degrees? You see, Phil was getting ready to take a trip on a motorcycle, and he understood what we know as the "chill factor." I'm sure most of us are aware that the chill factor is not the actual temperature, rather it's what it feels like. Inanimate objects are not affected by the chill factor. The chill factor won't freeze your radiator nor damage your plants, because water and vegetation don't have the sense of feeling the way people and animals do. As far as we humans are concerned, however, the way it feels is what it is....at least in our minds, and that is true with more than just the temperature. Word got back to me one time that someone had said I reminded him of Reggie from the comic strip, "Archie," because I thought I was hot stuff. Huh? Me? If only he knew the truth! Although his assessment of me was inaccurate, it upset me when I heard what was said, because it made me wonder if that's how I came across. I worried that my effort to exhibit self confidence created a "chill factor" that made it "feel like" I thought more highly of myself than I should. What kind of person am I really? I guess that's a question that only God and me could answer, but in the minds of others, their perception of me is reality. That leads me to ask the question, "How do I make others feel?" Even if I'm a warm hearted guy, if I come across as cold and heartless, that's how I will be viewed. Do I make it seem like I don't really want to make conversation, and appear to be in a hurry to get away? Do I give the impression that your issues are minor compared to the things that personally affect me? The type of man I "appear" to be makes no difference to the bed I sleep in or the car I drive, because they don't have feelings; but to other individuals, it makes all the difference in the world. My actual temperature is 98.6, but if I make you feel like it's 68.9, my chill factor is coming in to play, and I don't want that. My goal is to make you feel warm, kicking the chill factor out of the equation. Preston