How did they do it a long time ago?

I don't remember it being so humid and hot in a long time. That's probably because I lived in Seattle for the last six years, and over there, you experience only dry heat. Heat is one thing, but couple it with humidity, and you've got a real struggle on your hands.

Last week after work, while walking up the steep hill to the parking lot where my car was, I became very aware of every breath I took. The sun and the humidity made it feel like I was carrying a fifty pound rucksack on my back. At the very top, I had to double over to catch my breath. There was another thirty yards to my car, but the walk felt like a mile.

Over the next few days, I had many similar experiences. Funny thing was, there were even times when I was resting that I suddenly felt very drained and very drowsy, as if I could just close my eyes and go to sleep right there. I suppose that's an effect of humidity. It drains one even at rest.

In all this time, I did not use an air conditioner. I could have, but I didn't. At night, the air cooled down enough so that a box fan in the window blew in enough comfort to merit a good night of sleep. That was during the first few days, but the heat and humidity didn't abate. I actually think it got worse.

One night, I slept at my girlfriend's, in an air conditioned room, and noticed the difference between the air in that room, and how Hellish it was outside. Immediately, I thought of the times before air conditioning. How did they live and sleep without it? I suppose there's all kinds of tricks one can employ when one has to, but, right now, it's too hot and humid to ruminate too much. Instead, I'll take it on faith that life sucked without air conditioning. That was then, and this is now. I will simply retire to my room and with one turn of a knob be cooled to Arctic delight.

Long Weekend Half-Way Over

Yesterday, I spent a fair part of the day trying to figure out what I was going to do. I'd get up to do something, then, after five minutes of ruminating, I'd sit down for another half hour, and start the process all over again. It was so hot and humid so getting into tape loop way of thinking was very easy to do. Normally, I don't mind the echoing. After all, much of life is repetitive. Computers are like that. They do the same things over and over again, and no one complains. I guess that's the nature of a machine.

I like to think of myself as creative and free-thinking, not a slave to habit, or compulsion, and that's probably what troubled me when I was unable to decide what I wanted to do yesterday. Besides, weekends pass so quickly. I didn't want to find myself late on Sunday afternoon saying, why didn't I do anything all weekend?

Today is different.  I went with the flow. I woke up late, and turned my back on expectations. Pepito and I took a drive. I bought a cup of coffee, then we went to a local wooded lake area for a walk. It was so cool and tranquil, and we so much enjoyed the scenery and seeing other people and their dogs walking that I forgot about what we were supposed to do. I just enjoyed the moment. Yes, I was in the moment as they say when you're an Actor. I was just an actor playing out my scene in life, and could have cared less about anything else at that time. Now that's living. And to be honest, if that's the only thing of consequence I do for the rest of the weekend, then I've done something grand. Amen.