It’s been a painfully slow news-summer, but I was still shocked to see this headline in my local paper*:
Amish Cope With Heat Without Air Conditioning –
My first thought is they should have added the
sub-headline: As they have for almost 500 years.
But the article was serious and I became alarmed that the
Amish, like some tree frogs and rodents, might be in danger of becoming extinct
due to global warming. But no, the angle was the Amish could not “avoid the
discomfort of the overbearing temperatures” because they “eschew” electricity. (As,
of course, they have for almost 500 years).
The topic so enthralled the newspaper, they sent a reporter
out in the field, literally an Amish field, to discover how the Amish are able
to survive the oppressive summer heat.
An Amish guy named Yoder said he just sweats it out. That’s right, the Amish must use that primitive human function, which has existed since mankind began, to cool their bodies in the summer. Yoder also said he opens his windows, and lets the door swing open to take advantage of something known as a “breeze”. “You just kinda get used to the heat”, Yoder concluded. ‘The reporter states that the Amish use fans (battery or propane powered) whenever they can, but for the most part, they just grin and bear it.”*
But Now For The Sage Advice
The article could have ended there, but because the
reporter thinks the Amish also eschew intelligence, he went and asked some
local experts what the Amish could do to stay cool. *
The Advice:
1. Stay
Inside – Of course, if your income is derived from working outside in the
summer – say as a farmer or roofer – I’m not sure this is going to work.
2. Stay
Hydrated – with water or Gatorade. Wow, these experts are good! I’m sure the
Amish hadn’t thought of that one. And since the Amish are such great athletes,
they probably already have plenty of Gatorade on hand.
3. Dress
Appropriately – Well, I don’t reckon the Amish have a summer wardrobe, and
modesty would prevent the showing of much skin. So, don’t expect the Amish
ladies to start flashing halter tops. Although, if they did, I’m sure the next
breaking news headline in this paper would read:
4. Keep a
Cool Bucket of Water and Towel Handy – This type of advice is only possible from
experts with college degrees.
5. Stay Out of the Sun – Also take frequent breaks, and stand in a windy area. The experts point out that this cooling advice works not only for the Amish, but for the English too!
My Personal Experience
Yes, this article was filled with critical advice for the
Amish to survive the summer heat, but it had a much deeper meaning for me. I
now realize I am fortunate to be alive. For I did not have air-conditioning
growing up. Now unlike the Amish, we didn’t lack electricity – what we did lack
was money. Air-conditioning was considered a luxury for a blue-collar household
in the city.
What we did have is what I will call Pennsylvania Dutch air
conditioning, which consisted of putting box fans blowing air out of the two
front windows, with one fan in the back hall, pulling air out of the two
bedrooms. This created a constant wind tunnel, cooling down the house.
However, I still remember those hot, muggy nights when I
slept at the foot of my bed so I would be directly in the jet stream as it
were. You heard that right, sometimes I HAD TO SLEEP AT THE FOOT OF THE BED TO
SURVIVE! Oh, the horror! Oh, the humanity! Because just like the Amish – I HAD
NO AIR CONDITIONING!
But thank goodness! Through sweating and drinking lots of water
(although my father preferred beer) – just like the Amish, somehow, I survived
– Yes, I have survived. And survived to write about it.
* This is actual content from
the article
