Hello summertime! The long, warm summer days have arrived. For many of us, summer releases our carefree inner child. It evokes flashbacks of endless hours spent lying in the grass soaking up the sun, gazing at the steel blue sky, mesmerized by the wispy clouds and majestic earthly hues so vivid we didn’t dare look away for fear we’d miss something spectacular. We stayed out past dark to watch the fireflies, more commonly known as lightning bugs in the South, glisten and dance, their glowing halos a sight to behold.
We had no concept of time or temperature. It might have been 95 degrees with barely breathable levels of humidity, but that didn’t matter. It was summertime and we were feeling fine. Those were the good old days. And you know what such days of yesteryear lacked? Air conditioning. So this begs the question: How did people survive summers without it?
Our Summertime Savior: A/C
One way is exactly what’s previously been described: living an active lifestyle, replete with outdoor activities. This proved to be an exceptional distraction from the looming discomfort of a stifling home and the benefits were twofold: One could also find the perfect spot for some much-needed respite outdoors. Napping under a shade tree was a fairly common practice. Despite being invented in 1902, the air conditioner didn’t become a standard fixture among the general populace until the 1970s. In the meantime, families kept windows and doors open to increase ventilation. They utilized screen porches to get the most out of heavy breezes. Sleeping outdoors overnight wasn’t unheard of, either, since it was cooler outside than inside. Additionally, people took advantage of ice houses that contained ice harvested during the winter months from frozen bodies of water. It was stored and shared during the sultry summer days. Community water fountains also existed to help combat the heat. These large receptacles held mass quantities of water, albeit unsanitary water, for drinking and were free to use by the public, as well as the occasional animal (hence the mention of unsanitary).
Present Day
Those days are long gone, thank goodness. If you fast forward to present day, the summer memories being made by current generations are vastly different. June without air conditioning is virtually unfathomable. The existence of fireflies is all but fleeting as their natural habitats are compromised due to pollution, pesticides and simulated light sources. And you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone lying in the grass to cool off or simply to enjoy life’s beauty, at least not without a cell phone in hand. So soak up the special summer moments when you have the opportunity, embrace the invention of air conditioning and be thankful for the memories you’ve made. Maybe share a summer story or two with the grandkids every now and then. They’ll find it intriguing, without a doubt.
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