So, there I was, February 6, 2005, posted up and getting ready to watch my team, the New England Patriots take on the Philadelphia Eagles for Superbowl XXXIX. 

 Friends situated all around the house, food to satisfy whatever craving presented itself, snacks galore, drinks flowing freely (but in a responsible way) and plenty of trash talking to go around from the various circles of sports experts and enthusiasts who sometimes equate enthusiasm with expertise.   
Appropriately so, I have on my gear to telepathically bolster my team toward the win.  Now, you may hate the Patriots, but they are champions and you must respect. 
And you may feel some-kind-of-way that I am taking the time to go off subject and gloat, but it’s hard not to when you are rocking in a city of multiple championships.

But I digress…..(this is also part of what sometimes happens).

Anyway, there I am in the midst of the excitement of the game and the camaraderie of a happily rowdy and celebratory group of folks, when
BLAM ------ SURPRISE ------WOOSH

Out of nowhere and for no apparent reason and almost imperceptibly I feel this foreign thing inside of me that seems to be alive.
It's a warm and steadily growing warmer sensation that begins to creep up and out from the pit of my stomach.
If I could describe it visually, I would say it was like an exploding fireworks display growing larger and more magnificent with every Pop - Pop - Pop - Pop.   

And slowly it ascends up my body, climbing into my chest.  Now my heart starts beating fast because this is no ordinary thing.  Never felt this before.  
And this unnamed thing is on a persistent crawl, steadily moving - - - never pausing, and never hurrying. 
And then I feel what I know is a "flush" as it heats up my face.  Now I am an African American Cocoa Brown skinned woman, but in that moment, 
I know my face was as red as any Caucasian country woman in the dead of summer sitting in the hot sun at the heat of the day on an uncovered porch.  (At least that's what I think it would feel like).  

It maintains its unrelenting rise-up, finds its peak and rests right dead smack center on the crown of my head.  
And it just stays there momentarily, not doing anything but existing.  
It is quiet and seemingly invisible to the naked eye, but for me this potent not too sharp but certainly unmistakable electric current is all up inside of me.  
And I have no idea what is happening except that I have this urgent need to come out of my team inspired and festive attire, cap first and just cool off
from this full blown sweat attack that has overtaken me.

And all I could think in that moment is
“What The Hell”?  

(That’s really a nice way of saying it but I’m sure it was more like a “What The F…?” that actually came through me. (Too grown not to tell the truth)).

Was it the food?  
Nah, nothing too spicy that I haven't had a million times before.
Was it the alcohol? 
 Can't be, I drink them nice and smooth and know just the perfect blend to make it right.

Was it the excitement of the game? 
Impossible, I am an avid football fan and have been in the throes of this type of heart thumping athletic chaos on all too many occasions.  

I looked around to see if anyone else noticed what happened or if anybody else felt this little lick of fire that had just invaded my body.  But folks were just whooping and hollering and cackling, totally engrossed in the game. 
 There was no hint of anything happening out of the ordinary and certainly nothing worthy of calling their attention away from the New England Patriot clinic that was living out on the large flat screen television.  

I thought to myself, well okay, the moment has passed, I don't feel any different so it couldn't be that serious.   And before I have taken time to really process what just happened, I'm back in the mix of all the festivities
with the memory of that heat-inspired presence fleeting.  
So I return back to myself and business as usual while the universe snickers and shakes it's proverbial head at my ignorance, innocence and naivete' of the fact that my world had just shifted on its axis. 

SURPRISE!!!!

Needless to say, my fan has become a constant companion

Discussion question - If you care to, share your memory of your first hotflash, where you were, and describe what it felt like?