How did we survive: Part II

​     Well, it’s not even May here in San Antonio, and it’s already pushing 90 degrees. Down south, we think we know heat, but I can’t even imagine what it was like before air conditioning.
     While visiting my missionary sister in Indonesia, we spent time in a village with no electricity. AND IT WAS HOT! This girl was cranky, sweaty and pretty miserable. Everyone sat on a long, covered porch, doing their daily chores and socializing, venturing into the sun when needed. It’s amazing how much cooler it is in the shade of the trees or a porch.
Actually, interesting fact:  in the shade, it technically isn’t cooler at all. It only feels that way because you’re out of the sun’s radiation. Shade or sun, the temperature is exactly the same. (Thank you Bill Nye the Science Guy).
When AC was invented around the turn of the century, it wasn’t even intended to be used for people’s comfort, just climate control for practical purposes. Apparently in 1902 environmental comfort wasn’t a priority, or at least it wasn’t something people were marketing to.
May I never take for granted walking into a cool building on a hot San Antonio day, or forget that a glass of ice water is a beautiful thing.