I awoke in the pre-dawn hours uncomfortable. My neck was wet with perspiration against my pillow. The air was hot and stuffy, even though I could hear the air conditioner running. However, my ears noted a difference. A check of the thermostat confirmed my suspicions; the temperature was four degrees above normal. The air blowing out of the vent was warm, lacking the satisfying chill of a functioning A/C. The thought of going through the weekend in a hot apartment did not appeal to me, and I spent the remaining hours before departing for work doing various chores and contemplating where I might spend time should a lengthy repair be necessary.
How weak am I in this modern age that the thought of spending a day or two without comfortable climate control causes me to shudder?
I spent Tuesday night at the oldest continuously operating dance hall in Texas. Gruene Hall, located forty-five minutes south of Austin along the Guadalupe River, is a truly unique place. Rather than letting time pass it by, Gruene ignores that the passing of time exists at all. The dance hall has been there 130 years, and little has changed. The patrons are the same, though their clothes have changed. The music has changed, but not as much as we might think. Air conditioning hasn't been invented yet; only fans and a breeze crossing through the open windows offer relief from the heat, which is only noticeable once one leaves the dance floor. One is left to deal with it in the same way Texans have dealt with it all along: grab a cold beer and walk outside to pitch a horseshoe or two.
The great lesson is that it takes very little to fully enjoy life. Friends, good music, a spin around the dance floor...a beer. Such things have always been and will continue.
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