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Being coolHot days and humid nights are the wages of July and August in the Midwest. We are not getting scorched like states to the south but we are getting stewed, so the outcome is about the same. Our ancestors dealt with this without grumbling, but now we use every vehicle and building to create a micro-climate that the natural world never intended. I can't say that I liked much about summer heat while growing up in Oklahoma at a time when air conditioning was only found in a few department stores in Oklahoma City. We lived in farm houses that were so askew and thin-walled that a breeze could pass through them year round. I guess they were "air conditioned" before their time. The affordability of air conditioning has probably done more damage to our culture than any other single scientific advancement. We have built isolated cubes that have greatly reduced personal interaction. For example, a farm house of years gone by had a porch where everyone gathered in hot weather. It was cool, shady, breezy and communal. People visited with one another and entertained themselves with mostly pleasant conversation. Today, we live in homes that are sealed against the elements, with at least two sides that are void of windows. To replace the loss of companionship we have added radio, television, iPods and Internet. The goal of being comfortable has also resulted in far less real human interaction. In a row of houses of the mid-1900s, you could listen to find out what your neighbors were doing. Now you have to go on Facebook to read what they "say" they are doing. Not only were we hot, we also breathed a lot of dust. If there is anything that modern weatherization and mechanical heating and cooling has done, it is filter the air to reduce the volume and size of the airborne dirt. I tell people that the reason Okies talk through their noses is because when we opened our mouths, they filled up with dirt. We baled a lot of hay and the dust came off of it in waves. My parents had a stationary bailer in the 1940s that required two people to sit and tie each bale that came through. When they finished the work day, they were the same color as the dirt. How their lungs stood it is still a mystery to me. For those who drive machinery, there is no question that a climate-controlled cab improves efficiency and health of the operator. Interestingly, we had to break down the social issues of farmers having tractors with air-conditioned cabs well after the technology was available. This summer, I saw the first John Deere 8020 tractor on display at a county fair in Watseka, Ill. It was the prototype for big, four-wheel drive, articulated pulling machines, but the thing that stood out was that it had no cab. It just wasn't appropriate for agriculture to move from metal "ovens" with steel seats to power steering and air-conditioned comfort in such a short period of time. Even though I spend the hot days running from one sheltered spot to another, when I determine to step outside and stay there I begin to feel better. I realize that the human body can continue to work while enduring heat and that it can bounce back just by drinking water and sitting in the shade for a moment. Still, given the choice, I'll head back to the coolness of the house. When I step in, I think that it is cold and passing from hot to cool so easily is not natural. But in a few minutes, I'm perfectly happy there and dreading when I have to face the heat again. We are never going back to the old ways, at least not willingly. We may go camping and simulate roughing it in other ways but always with the realization that there is a place where we can go to reduce the stress of the natural elements. We are softer than our ancestors but more productive. Air conditioning and a faster pace of life have deprived us of conversational skills and patience with our natural surroundings. I wonder if future generations will become even more sedentary than we are? Will technology allow mankind to be enveloped by a micro-climate even when out in hot weather? Maybe we can "AC" our blood or implant a micro-cooling system on the back of our necks. We are not amoebas, but our tendency is to move away from painful stimuli and head toward comfort. Stay cool! Editor's Note: Ken Root is an independent agricultural journalist. He was named the 2009 Farm Broadcaster of the Year and was the 2008 winner of the Oscar in Agriculture. He is an Oklahoma native and an experienced print, radio and television journalist. He has spent the last five years as Lead Farm Broadcaster at WHO Radio in¬ Des Moines, Iowa. He and his wife Gail have two adult children and two grandchildren.
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