A Snowball to the Face

Snowballs. On a summer day, their icy cool would be welcome. In a pitcher of tepid iced tea, it would be an island of cool. If you don't like the snowball, leave it sit. It will melt. If you get a high speed snowball in the face, it can piss you off. But, in truth, it's really nothing. But, it's a big thing to someone who can't stand snowballs in the face.

That's what a hot button is. Like saying, "You're fat. Lose some weight." Or, "Did your Dad move to Canada to dodge the draft?" For a lot of people, these questions would be non-issues. For others, they're a hot button.

If someone asks you to just get over an issue, ask them to get over one of their pet peeves. Not subvert it. Not avoid it. Embrace it and completely get over it. If they can do that, you can that. If they can't take a snowball in the face-- take it as though it were nothing at all, take a second or third with the ambivilance of the first-- they have to respect your hot button.