Working in the Heat Changes You

 

There seems to be a funny divide between people who work outside all day and people who work inside all day, especially when summer shows up.

After spending eight or ten hours working in the heat, climbing around, carrying materials, and sweating through every shirt you own, there is one thing on your mind when it's time to head home: air conditioning. Not just a little air conditioning either. I'm talking about that blast of cold air that makes your truck sound like a walk-in freezer.

Meanwhile, you'll pull up next to someone at a stoplight with all their windows down enjoying the "beautiful weather." That's when you know they probably spent the day inside. No offense to them, but after baking in the sun all day, that beautiful weather feels a lot different.

I used to be one of those people who didn't mind the heat.

When I was younger, I'd work all day outside, get home, and somehow still find the energy to stay outside. I'd mow the lawn, mess around in the garage, help a buddy with a project, or just hang out in the yard. The heat didn't seem to bother me much at all.

Now? Things have changed.

These days, after working outside all day, I walk into the house and immediately start looking for the nearest air vent. The older I get, the more I appreciate modern technology. Whoever invented air conditioning deserves a trophy.

It's funny how your priorities change over the years. When you're young, you think nothing can slow you down. When you get a little older, you start judging places by how good their air conditioning is.

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy working outside. There's something satisfying about seeing what you accomplished at the end of the day. But when the temperature starts climbing and the humidity joins the party, you'll find me sitting in the driver's seat with the AC cranked up to arctic levels on the ride home.

The heat may not bother me as much as it used to, but one thing hasn't changed: tomorrow I'll be right back out there doing it all over again. I'll just be looking forward to that cold drive home a little more than I did twenty years ago.

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