Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Myron Heuer Column 8/10/98



Air conditioning has certainly spoiled us. How did we survive
years ago, when we didn’t have air conditioning?

We’ve had some hot and humid days this summer. Not necessarily
hot . . . but, humid. As they say, “It’s not the heat, but the humidity.”

I remember some very hot and humid nights when I was a
youngster. Nights when you slept with no covers on, sweating the whole night
through.

When you got up the next morning, the sheets were wet,
and not because you had an accident.

I remember sleeping outside many a warm night. Trouble
with that, you’d have to fend off mosquitoes. If a thunderstorm showed up,
you’d have to head for the house.

If school was in session during hot and humid weather,
your papers would stick together or to your arm. Life was just miserable.
Today, we wonder how we survived.

I think my first experience with air conditioning was in
a movie theatre. But, although it was cool, it was very humid because it
was a water-cooled system. Your arms would stick to the seats as you watched
the movie.

It’s obvious we’re spoiled. We can’t stand the heat and
humidity. We have to have the air conditioner on. If we have a power outage,
we feel we’re in great trouble.

Remember the fans given by funeral homes? They were greatly
used in church on a hot Sunday morning. I would think the preacher would
be hypnotized watching all those fans waving back and forth.

When it comes to naming the greatest invention of the 20th
century, it won’t be the computer or television . . . it’ll be the air conditioner!


Daffynition ­ Chickens: the only animals you eat before
they are born and after they’re dead.

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