With Gratefulness

Who invented the cotton gin? – Eli Whitney

Electricity? – Benjamin Franklin

The Model-T? – Henry Ford 

The light bulb? – Thomas Edison  

Right?  Well, sort of.  These are the inventors I remember hearing about in school when I was growing up.  Turns out, according to my extensive 15 minute internet research, some of these “inventors,” while brilliant men, were often improving ideas that had already been formed, thus not the actual “inventor.”  But, that’s a complicated concept for a third-grader, I suppose.  

There is one man whom, I determined today, is NOT getting enough credit in the history books; the guy who invented air-conditioning.  It’s 90+ degrees today with plenty of humidity to go along with it, and this afternoon I, for one, found myself wondering who in the world this genius was. 

So, tonight I decided to do a little research into the subject, which is what sent me into my “extensive research” mode.  Turns out, Willis Haviland Carrier is considered the inventor of modern air-conditioning.  Hey, you don’t suppose that’s where Carrier Air-Conditioning Systems got their name, do you?  Hmmm . . . . . 

There’s actually a lot to learn about the invention of air-conditioning but hey, this is a blog, not an encyclopedia site.  I’m just content going to bed tonight with gratefulness in my heart for the fact that God put Willis Haviland Carrier on the earth before me.  

I’m also grateful for the fact that we have said air-conditioning installed in our home.  It sure beats the days of sitting in front of a fan with our feet in cold water.

Back in the Day

When I was in High School, back in the day as they say, girls and boys had separate gym classes.  Call me old-fashioned, but I thought that was a good idea and still do.  As if it’s not bad enough that every girl in school knows of your pathetic athletic skills does every boy really need to know, too?

As I was exercising the other day something passed through my mind that brought back those less than cherished memories of high school gym class.  There was an exercise that we did routinely in gym class that would, we were told, increase the size of our chests.  To do said exercise we’d stand with our arms basically reaching across the front of our bodies, hands facing downwards with one forearm over the other.  Then, we’d stretch our elbows back with our arms still bent, bring them forward again, followed by another backwards stretch in which we’d unbend our elbows and extend the entire arm back as far as possible.   As we did said exercises there was a little chant we said to go along with it; "We must, We must, We must increase our bust."  I’m not saying they don’t do this particular exercise in gym classes today, I’m just guessing that the accompanying chant has gone by the wayside.  Kind of sad.

Speaking as one who hates to exercise, I have to admit, this was a pretty sneaky tactic those gym teachers were using.  I mean seriously, 99.9% of the freshman girls would probably have swallowed goldfish had they thought it would give them a little more up front.  But alas, I’m not convinced that it actually did any good as we all seemed to end up to be the size that God had created us to be.

It did, however, give me something to look back at and chuckle.  I wonder what else they lied to us about?