The Burro of Narberth

Central Air

b1.gif (4039 bytes)       I’m gonna tell you right up front that it's kinda embarrassing to admit that we got central air conditioning. Tell you why.  I’m third generation Narberth, and if front porches, fans, and lemonade were good enough for my Daddy and Granddaddy, that’s good enough for me. A little perspiration never hurt nobody.   

        But, six or seven years ago, we did a little remodeling on the homestead and the missus put her foot down and so while the guy was fixin up the kitchen we got some air conditioning while he was at it. Still making payments, too.

       The reason I gave in and agreed to it was because you gotta understand what happens to the missus when the hot weather rolls in. I mean you can’t hear yourself think over the sighing and moaning. Her whole personality changes. You’d think I was some hired hand or something. Cramps in my feet from tiptoeing. I remember summers where we’d go a week without food unless I went out and brought back something already cooked. One bath she took lasted three and a half days.

       Anyways, now that it's cool in the house she’s plenty happy. But the problem is, during this heat wave we’ve started seeing little clusters of neighbors gathering in the street outside our place, staring at our closed windows, muttering to themselves. It’s them I can't help feeling guilty about.  I mean they can’t help it that when they were kids their parents told 'em that air conditioning was some kind of wasteful luxury so quit complaining.

      Of course, right this minute I ain’t feeling too guilty about the neighbors... the missus is cooking tonight.


July 6, 1999

Go back to the Burro's homepage