The oppressive heat wave we are having draws on my vivid memories of growing up. Yes, it was hot in the summer when I was growing up. I have my stories.
There was no air conditioning when I was a kid. Not in the cars. Not in the home. Not in public school systems. So we had to adjust. We had lots of fans. Window fans to pull in cooler air. Window fans to draw heat from the buildings. Lots of shades and blinds to keep sunlight out. Lots of trips to Elkhart Lake and Mauthe Lake beaches.
Ice cubes were in all the drinks and ice cream was common relief.
Driving the car with the windows open was the only way to achieve reasonable relief. When I was 17, my folks traded my personal car (that I paid for with my money) for a 50' Oldsmobile convertible. I had mixed emotions because they traded "my car" without permission but I was getting a cool convertible. Driving a convertible as a teenager on a hot night with your best girl was a good way to stay cool (I refrain from joking).
My Dad's (Bucky) passion was baseball and of course Jack and I played on many teams. The only cool place on a public baseball diamond is the "dugout". I remember many hot afternoons standing in the outfield waiting for the other team to finish their turn an bat. Somehow the heat was never a deterent against playing. Of course some of the games were at night and practice sessions were always late afternoon.
I worked in the fields for the local Stokely Canning factory weeding beets in the summer. My mother would always give me a one gallon thermos filled with kool-aid and jammed with ice cubes. It was usually gone by the time I got home. I wore a wide brimmed straw hat to combat the sun. Once in a great while, Stokely would shorten the work day to avoid oppressive heat.
For some reason, my most vivid memory of coping with heat was being in Grandma Myrna's apartment. She had fans all over but I was mesmorized by the oscillating fans. The metal guards over the fans were nowhere near as effective as they are today and we kept getting warned to keep our fingers out of the fan. There was one rubber bladed fan I remember that didn't have a guard and you could put you fingers along the outer edges and actually bring it to a stop. Eventually we wore out the blades.
Growing up we survived the heat without air conditioning. Believe it! It can be done. I know it sounds like a tall tale, but it is true. So no more complaints!
Love,
Dad