Cold Air

Can you imagine a time when there was no refrigeration or air conditioning? The lack of air conditioning is less difficult to contemplate; most people in my generation, and even younger, have at least stayed at places where there was no central air, and of course we've all had the electricity go out and had to rely only on the breeze -- assuming the rain wasn't coming down too hard to open the windows. Fresh air is nice; it's nicer when it's not ninety degrees and your only option.

Not having a refrigerator is harder to think about. My grandmother, and even my mother, used to talk about the ice man coming down the streets of Washington, chipping off enough to fulfill the family's needs for whatever period of time was designated. Throughout my life, both of them referred to the refrigerator as the "ice box", and while I'm not exactly sure how an ice box worked, I supposed there was a compartment that held the ice and another section for the food. It's so easy to take "easy refrigeration" for granted now. If I had to rely on an ice box, I'd probably shop on a daily basis and cook what I bought as soon as I got it home. To do otherwise would be too inconvenient.

I don't know why I'm rambling about these items of coolness, other than that it's hot outside and I'm grateful for both air conditioning and a fridge. And the fan I have right next to me blowing on my head.