Four Plastic Blades

Four plastic blades slow and stop. The room goes quiet except for the "tic" of the battery-operated clock on the wall. Sweat begins to form.

In the heat of the afternoon the electricity has gone off, just as I was debating about writing or watching TV. And then, just as quickly it returns, for which I'm grateful.

How grateful I am for four plastic blades, the motor and the electricty that makes them circulate to bring relief from the heat indoors. I wonder who invented this technology? Who sat suffocating from the heat? And on which continent did they live?

Whether it's a ceiling fan, a wall-mounted fan or a floor fan, I've come to greatly appreciate them all. Upon entering a room, my first task is to locate the fan switch, for without the air movement, the heat quickly becomes intolerable. In the past, I did not particularly appreciate the breeze of a direct fan blowing on me, but under different circumstances, I can not survive without it. Day and night the fans are in operation.

But one day soon, the fans will stop for a few short months and jackets and blankets will be needed. I eagerly anticipate this time; however, I will miss the constant "hum" of the fan.