Just as the temps finally decided to creep near 100 degrees for the first time this summer, the air conditioning in my car quit.

As I drove along with all of the windows down, I had an epiphany.

Suddenly, I became aware of things I hadn’t noticed in 35 years. Things you can’t notice with the windows up and the AC blowing.

I could hear the sounds of birds, dogs, the road noise, and the feeling of the hot breeze. And it made me remember what it was like when I was a kid.

It sucked.

We’ve all become a nation of wusses, and I’m one of them. We like our conveniences and we don’t like it when we don’t have them. Imagine having to give up things you have now that you didn’t used to have.

In the 1960’s, my family had no AC, no telephone, no calculators and one black and white TV that got two channels (three if the weather was just right). Today, virtually all of those things are included in an iPhone, except for the AC, but Apple hasn’t unveiled the iPhone 6 yet, so that may even be an option.

As a youngster, I wanted to go to either the movies or the grocery store, because they had air conditioning. On the front door of the Shurway there was a sticker advertising Kool Cigarettes that said, “Come on in. It’s Kool inside!”

But this day, making the short trip from my house to my mechanic’s shop felt like an eternity. I was perspiring. Ooh wah.

As the sweat ran down my face, I thought about the generations behind me who’ve never known anything but comfort and convenience. They have never lived without air conditioning, telephones, cable or satellite TV, computers or the Internet.

Me? I’m still amazed that I can talk on a phone that’s not attached to the kitchen wall.

But as I’ve aged, I too have become dependent and complacent when it comes to modern conveniences. So, I decided to let this experience be a wakeup call for me. It is obviously a sign that I need to get back to nature and learn to rough it. I’m supposed to be tougher than this. I need to man up, show some strength and not be such a whiner.

So, that’s exactly what I intend to do.

As soon as the AC in my Prius is fixed, I’m going home, look on my iPhone, see what channel Survivorman is on, and watch 10 episodes. More if the weather is just right.

©2014 John Moore