A Journey Through Cooling Technologies
Growing up, the concept of air conditioning was something I never truly understood. My family lived in Nebraska, where we relied on open windows and fans to keep our homes cool. It wasn’t until we moved to Missouri that I experienced what it meant to live in a place where the heat was more intense.
My Aunt Adeline was a remarkable woman who managed to keep her large house comfortable with just a bowl of ice placed in front of a window fan. This simple setup was the equivalent of modern-day air conditioning for the Cornhusker state. When we moved south, many people expressed concern about the heat, viewing Missouri as part of the Deep South. Although it was only 200 miles away, the perception of the South was enough to make us feel like we were entering a different world.
The reality of moving to Missouri was even more challenging than expected. Each day was sweltering, wrapped in a thick layer of humidity. At night, we struggled to sleep, often drifting in and out of consciousness while a large oscillating floor fan hummed at the end of the hallway. This fan became an essential part of our daily life, following us from room to room. Whether we were in the kitchen or the living room, the fan was always there, providing a welcome source of relief.
The following summer, my parents purchased a window air conditioner, and the old fan found its way into the basement. We would occasionally acknowledge the fan when doing laundry or retrieving something from the freezer, but it soon became forgotten. The new AC unit provided a blast of cold air directly at the kitchen table, leading us to eat meals wearing our winter coats. To circulate the cool air to the bedrooms, the AC ran constantly at night, which resulted in icicles forming on the kitchen appliances each morning.
A few years later, central air was installed in our home, marking a significant change in our lives. There was no longer the hum of a fan or the roar of a window AC. The entire house remained comfortably cool without any constant background noise, and we could finally enjoy meals without wearing coats.
Our children have never known life without air conditioning, nor have their children. When one of our daughters and her family moved to a different house, a friend brought lunch for the entire family on moving day. She also included an oscillating stand fan, knowing that the constant movement in and out of the house would generate heat.
“Is that an oscillated what?” one of the kids asked, surprised by the fan’s presence. The woman carried the fan into the kitchen, set it upright, raised the pole, and plugged it in. The kids immediately rushed to the fan, placing their red-cheeked, sweaty faces in front of the blowing air. As they talked, they realized the fan distorted and amplified their voices.
They began singing and screeching, using all the strange voices they could think of. Throughout the day, none of them passed the fan without stopping to cool off and sing a few bars.
“Hey, Grandma!” one of them shouted, “Did you know about these fans?”
“I did know about them,” I replied. “That’s how your grandma became cool.”
