It’s another hot day in the U. S. of A. The wall of heat assaulted me every time I entered my car and made me thankful for air conditioning. This wasn’t always so. Air conditioning was not standard in cars or really affordable until the 1980s. What, you say? It’s true. Many of us grew up traveling without this luxury.
Sitting like six sardines on vinyl seats in the family car was not a treat. Our short shorts and cramped quarters caused sweaty legs to stick to the sibling sitting next to you. This was gross, painful and led to many a fight. “Move over!” “Stop pushing!” and then the dreaded voice from the front seat, “Am I going to have to pull this car over?”
On one summer trip Dad, always the wit and the only one with every air vent aimed his way, made light of our circumstances.
Me: “It’s hot! I wish we had air conditioning.”
Dad: “We do.”
Me: “We do?”
Dad: “Yes, it’s called four-sixty air conditioning. Roll down all four windows and I will drive 60 miles an hour.
Me: “That’s not funny!”
My oldest brother took the family picture above. Remember all those family pictures from the 60s and 70s with wild hair? Four-sixty air conditioning.
Prairie Wisdom 
My son is barely two, so I only just had an opportunity to use the words, “Don’t make me pull this car over!” (Oh, how I exulted!)
Is it wrong that I now hope the A/C breaks sometime a couple of years down the road, just so I can ask my son if he wants four-sixty A/C?
Parenting is quite the journey. Teaching our kids to appreciate the luxuries we can give them and our own humor is absolutely necessary.