Lessons from The Window A/C Unit

September 22, 2024

The Whirlpool Window Air Conditioner

About a week ago on a Friday evening, I came home to a house filled with haze and the smell of something electrical burning. Like any good southern guy, I immediately started checking everything imaginable for the possibility of electrical fire, etc., and quickly realized that it was the A/C as something had overheated and died.

Going through that weekend without a working A/C system, in the middle of second summer in Alabama, reminded me of growing up with the old trusty Whirlpool window unit A/C.

Window Unit or Central?

Did you grow up with a “window unit” air conditioner or were you well off and had “central” air?

Growing up, the type of air conditioning you had in your house (if you had it) determined just how “well off” you were, at least to some.  My mom considered anyone with “central” as being well off or wealthy. Back in the day, for those that could afford it, it was common to have window unit air conditioners. Only the well off had central air. I had some cousins like that and I was always a little jealous.

Now for those that are not familiar with the term “central”, that means “central air conditioning” or in modern-day terms it would be equivalent to an “HVAC” system.

Growing up we were blessed with a Whirlpool 15,000 BTU window unit air conditioner, but we could only “run it” when it was necessary as that would cause the power bill to be way too high. Our unit was in the kitchen/dining room, and we usually only used it when we had company, when mom was putting up vegetables or canning or if was just unbearably hot. And when it was running, we were sure to keep all the doors closed to the rooms that didn’t need to be cooled. So, it was common to have that one room closed off that would always be hotter than hell, when you opened the door.

Sleeping With the Windows Open and the Fan on High

For those of us who had window units, it was common to sleep with the windows open along with a heavy duty, metal fan (that would take a finger or hand off, if you accidentally got too close to the blade) throughout most of the year. Then as summer rolled on, when it became so hot you couldn’t sleep you got to turn on the window a/c unit to cool the house down.

That Sound & Feel

To this day, there was always something comforting about the sound of the window unit. I could always sleep so much better with the unit running. Not only for the cool air, but for the noise. If you grew up like I did, then you know. As a kid, there’s nothing better than sleeping with that window unit on.

Unlike “central” units that would cool the entire house to a certain level (but never really get cold), those old window units could freeze you out. They don’t make them like that anymore. Yes, that is probably why the ozone is a little depleted these days.

Shelling Peas and Breaking Beans

I grew up on a farm and my parents had a huge garden. My dad loved it, and he thought his calling in life was to grow enough vegetables for our family, our relatives on our road and beyond (who were also our neighbors), our church, your church and anyone else who wanted it. That meant “we” had to work in the garden, pick the vegetables, shell them, etc.

So, on any given summer evening or weekend, you would find us shelling peas, butter beans, breaking beans or cutting off corn, usually on the carport. Then once it got so hot, we’d move inside and sit in front of the Whirlpool window unit and finish.

I spent many summers living this life and oh, those memories of those times together, etc. You can't replace that. No, I really didn't like shelling peas, especially butterbeans, but there was family. There was something comforting about those moments as life was much simpler then. Yes, I’ll write about that one day.

Life Lesson from the Window Unit

You know they say, you don’t appreciate something until it’s gone. Over this recent weekend, with no working “central” unit, I was reminded of growing up with that old Whirlpool window unit. It brought back a lot of memories, a few tears and joy. Yes, joy.

Recently, I’ve come to the big revelation that joy is “now”.   Not tomorrow, but now! We are not promised tomorrow, so we should live with joy today. I know that's easier said than done.

And we must choose JOY every day, it doesn’t just come.

For many, we live our life thinking that if we get to this point, achieve that, reach that level of success, achieve a certain level of financial success, and the list goes on and on, that we will suddenly have “joy”. And if we find it this way, it passes quickly just like the high of a vacation. It’s great when you are on it, but then you are back to reality, and it’s gone.

Choosing joy is like choosing when to turn on your Whirlpool window unit a/c. Once you choose it, it impacts your entire house. I never thought I’d be writing about a life lesson learned from an old Whirlpool window air conditioner unit. But sometimes the most impactful life lessons come in the most unexpected moments.

So let me encourage your today, turn that A/C on high, find some beans to break or peas to shell and choose joy!

I’m Jason Thrasher and this is BestLife50.