I’m a modern girl with teacher-ish inclinations (think Elizabeth Warren without ambition) so today’s subject is climate change. Because I read a lot, I have a series of clichés at my disposal that may astound my readers who don’t collect generalizations.
So I’m going to drill down and get granular–clichés will be listed in bold face– on how hot weather can affect a lifetime of thought and action. I grew up ( born in 1952) and currently live in Ft. Lauderdale FL so that’s what informs today’s lecture. Those folks ( vintage Obama era 2008-2016) who know how to cross-country ski, or cook brats in beer are welcome to add their own experiences in the comments.
I didn’t grow up with air conditioning. Yes, nights were steamy. Long hot summer was a fact as well as shorthand for the political unrest that would mark the waning years of the Vietnam War. The lone mosquito that would start droning somewhere around Cuba as it headed for my small bedroom at night probably was more likely to carry malaria than the current list of exotic diseases (Guillain-Barre syndrome, encephalitis), and traffic and tourists were very seasonal.
Hot times were had by all.
Our small local library and churches were the only institutions that could be relied upon to offer air conditioning so I became a reader. I also accepted Jesus in small local Protestant churches more times than I care to remember. This did not play well with my parents who were fallen away churchgoers with a high tolerance for humidity.
They didn’t seem to care what I did with my Sunday mornings, but they also were not going to stir their stumps (mid-sixteenth century British origin meaning to get moving) to give me a ride to the church du jour. I, of course, was not the center of universe—eventually some nice people would show up at the front door to convert my parents. After a short negotiation, my father and I settled on that fact that the Ten Commandments is a good rule to follow in life, and church is a matter of individual choice.
I also learned by default that nice people don’t get to set the rules.
Reading, however, and a general wonderment about life after life stayed.
So I decided to keep my good eye out (late 1800s) for facts and tried to check this year’s Ft. Lauderdale’s temperatures against 1970’s warm weather. My superficial internet check only raised the fact that overall temps are rising across the country except for a the Dakotas and their neighbors where summers are a little cooler. Most websites simply urged more tourists to visit Florida for the moderate temps during the winter.
So my last words on the subject to visitors and homies who have the advantage of air conditioning in their homes and work places as well as libraries and places of worship are a slightly altered quote from the internet using the cliché take advantage:
“You should take advantage of the hotel’s gym and pool while you’re here.”
Marvelous writing with an enviable dry wit. I laughed out loud at the final line!
I had almost forgotten our steamy, un-airconditioned childhood lives. My parents did not get air conditioning until after I moved out. Interestingly enough, I went to the movies to get the coveted cold air, and sometimes sat through the same feature film 2 times if they didn’t catch me. The mall was a nice cool place too, and I developed a life long shopping habit! I never considered getting religion to get relief though. Nice piece.