Things We Take For Granted

I was sitting outside enjoying the 105 degree heat index, wiping sweat off the back of my neck  and  humming the Lovin' Spoonful's old ditty Summer in the City, you know, Hot time, summer in the city, back of my neck gettin' dirty and gritty...

I had enough and went back inside where my A/C labored to maintain a frigid 70. So much for toughing it. Not like the good old days.

Growing up in the Bronx of the '50s without air conditioning was no big deal. What you never had, you don't miss. Open the windows for a rare breeze ( and some not so rare water bugs ) or turn on a fan if you had one. Wake up in sweat soaked pajamas and take a shower. No big deal. I was nearly thirty before I had a home with air conditioning and ever since would go into a vegetative state if it broke down when needed.  The same with the car. Had one for nearly fourteen years before getting one with A/C. Until then it was roll the windows down and make believe the breeze wasn't steaming. No big deal. Then the car has A/C and if it goes up during the dog days of August I'd run off the road with heat prostration.

The things we never noticed proves ignorance is bliss.

As far as the things we take for granted until they are gone...

The way things are going in our country and the world around us, we will soon be missing the things we take for granted on a much more serious level. Such as liberty.

What with airport invasive security (and government suggestions that such invasive searches be required at train and bus stations) and phone chips that track people and 'security' cameras all over and the government's plans to require all new cars to have a black box to track your gas use and locations and government entities now telling people what they can and cannot eat... well, before you know it we will be implanted with brain chips to control our behavior and probably blow our heads off when we do something big brother doesn't like.

We have been blessed in this country to have something the majority of the human race never had, personal liberty. We have taken it for granted at out own peril. The Bantus in Swaziland and the peasants in Hunan province and the tent dwellers in the Middle East wouldn't know what I'm talking about and don't miss what they never had, but we will.

And perhaps sooner rather than later.