Over
the years, I’ve heard a lot of things referred to as the spot.
You have as well. It’s a locator, a physical feeling, an emotional
response, and so much more.
Might
as well first consider the value of x and sweep that to the side.
I would argue, and you would likely agree, the most potentially
lucrative spot is X. Because, well, because of course it is.
X
marks the spot. Without dancing around, X is it, find X and you
find the treasure. Usually a phenomenal hidden treasure. We could—but
we won’t—go on for a bit about many legendary treasures that have
a variety of Xs marking them, though they’ve never been found.
All
of this began swirling around in my thoughts the other day after
lunch. Had been with a friend, and we happened to make some grinders.
For those unaware of the terminology that revolves around a grinder,
that would be a sandwich, hoagie, sub, hero and so on. Italian
grinders to be specific for us (and the labels of our youth),
featuring a lovely assortment of meats and tomatoes and lettuce
and red onions and hot peppers and provolone cheese and oil and
vinegar and more. Pickles and chips on the side. Good meal.
“That
hit the spot,” my friend said as she put down her plate.
And
those are the four words that sent me spinning into thought.
What
spot?
What
spot did this meal hit?
Was
the spot found because she had been hungry, ate the sandwich,
and as a result wasn’t hungry? Was it because the grinder was
something she has enjoyed from time to time, hasn’t had in a while,
and this provided some sort of extra satisfaction beyond a craving
of sorts?
Delicious
lunch. But the darn spot. Might be something simple, like a timely
meal. Might be something more meaningful, like breaking bread
with friends with an experience creates an overall feeling of
happiness. Might just be that it had some special added element,
maybe couldn’t be described, that offered an extra bit of something
or other to the meal.
And,
is that it for the spot? Treasures as X marks the variable of
what could be for one? The spot is found by nourishment for another?
I
don’t think so. There is definitely more.
Maybe
you have a muscle cramp. Something in your shoulder or calf. Get
a decent massage of the area, it feels good, and “that’s the spot”
is offered as a reaction.
Maybe
it isn’t THE spot. Maybe it’s
A spot. Maybe, like X, a spot
is a variable. A bullseye of sorts for whatever task or effort
or quest lies ahead.
Three
things that probably won’t surprise you at all. First, there is
no specific date, historical evidence, or any agreed upon origin
story for the spot. Second, the theory that tends to get the most
head nods and support involves targets. And third, the bullseye.
Let’s
consider archery. You have a bow and arrow. Over there is a target.
Let the arrow fly toward the target, strike the bullseye and hit
the spot.
Simple,
right?
In
all sorts of ways, the foundation we see here can be expanded,
twisted, and (forgive me, I can’t resist) massaged a bit to fit
our needs. Hitting the spot means finishing things off. Accomplishing
what you intended when you set off. And with that idea, suddenly
all of the spots converge under the same tent.
You
want to shoot a bullseye? Then hit the spot.
You
want to find the treasure? Get to the spot.
You
want to eat a meal, or rub tired and achy muscles, or on and on
and on, then the ultimate goal is to find the spot.
Even
a nonspecific, generalized, satisfy the craving and fill the void
interpretation can be used in some way to describe looking to
hit the spot.
When
I set off on my journey, I was looking to investigate a sandwich.
I quickly hit upon treasure hunting, and it didn’t take long to
swing into target practice on an archery range. The search was
revealing a polka dot pattern of spots to consider.
I
suppose, as a result, the answer is a bit obvious. Like any journey
where you want to arrive at a specific destination, it helps to
know what that destination is. Finding the spot means removing
the generalities and bringing some specifics into focus. It may
not be marked with an X all the time, it does help to know what
spot you mean.