Remember a time without air conditioning? How did you cope?

 A few years back, I took a few heating and air conditioning courses.  If I recall the first lesson, a fella named Willis Carrier invented air conditioning around 1906.  Now, to my kids and grand kids, I might be older than dirt, but the fact is, air conditioning was fairly common when I was born. 

     Notice I said fairly common.  Everybody didn’t have it.  In the 1960’s, the Lafayette area was growing pretty fast.  A lot of houses were being slapped up in a big doggone hurry.  There were plenty of factory jobs, and plenty of young families ready to put down roots. Young families could choose from National Homes and New Century homes, both built right here in Lafayette factories.  At the time, for a young family like ours, just buying your own home was a dream come true in and of itself.  To afford that hundred dollar house payment every month, a lot of families dispensed with the luxuries like central air, or carpet, or even paved driveways.  Whole neighborhoods of these little houses had the basics only. Our little house in the Lindale addition was no exception. No air conditioning for us.

     But, you don’t miss something you have never had, do ya? Our little New Century home, built in 1966, never had central air. The schools were not air conditioned either. When we were little, we only had a box fan for comfort at home, and nothing at all during school.  Open the windows and hope for a breeze. Let me tell ya, when it is 100 outside, the hot air that a box fan moves isn’t much help, but it seemed to suffice for us.  In addition to the old box fan, simple cool pleasures meant a lot on hot summer days. A popsicle, a bowl of ice cream, a cool treat would hit the spot. Lots of folks went to the movies more often in the summer because the theaters had cold air conditioning. For those who imbibe, a few of the local watering holes were air conditioned as well, providing both cool liquids and cool air. Some folks just looked for a good shade tree.

     About 10 or 12 years ago we had central air installed in our old house. Even though there were, and are, plenty of ways to cope without air conditioning. I just don't wanna.