Sometimes discomfort has something to teach us…
It’s hot here.
Not Florida hot. Not Arizona hot.
Wyoming hot…. Which I know isn’t as bad as some places and I shouldn’t be whining.
BUT. Considering I wore a coat for a good portion of our horsemanship clinic just two weeks ago, these high-90s days feel like… a lot.
And it’s especially noticeable because, for the first time in over ten years, I don’t have central air.
That’s not particularly unusual in Wyoming, but when you’ve gotten used to it for over a decade, living without it feels different… in ways I didn’t really expect.
Here’s what this hot little house has been teaching me:
Because yes, I’m sweaty. A lot. (I had sweat dripping in my eyeballs when I was painting my closet last week…) But I’m also much more aware.
- I now notice the difference between an 82-degree day and a 92-degree day.
- I know exactly when it’s time to throw the windows open in the evening, and exactly when to shut them and pull the blinds in the morning to capture as much of the cool air as possible.
- I know exactly when the wind shifts or a storm rolls through because I’m sprinting around the house slamming windows before the neighbor’s topsoil infiltrates my home.
- I’ve been line drying laundry more (because the dryer has an internal vent and HOLY MOLY, it’s like a furnace)… but it makes me happy every time I look out and see clothes on the line. I haven’t done that in nearly 16 years. It’s another little step in coming back to myself.
- I’m spending far more evenings sitting on the porch than I ever did at the old house, which means I’m watching the thunderheads build, hearing the nighthawks, and relishing in the feel of soft evening air on my skin. (In the past, I would’ve been wrapped in a blanket because the air conditioning kept the house so cold. And that always felt backwards to me.)
- I’ve worn shorts enough that my legs are actually getting mildly tan, which maybe has never happened before??
- And when a thunderstorm finally rolls through or we get one of those rare cool days? It is glorious. I FEEL every bit of it. In my body. On my skin.
And it’s got me to thinking….
I’ve had a few conversations lately about what “Old-Fashioned on Purpose” actually means.
People are quick to try to turn it into rules and lists, which makes my hackles stand up. I’ve even had people tell me recently that my divorce somehow isn’t “old-fashioned on purpose.” (I could write a whole post on that… maybe I will later.)
Regardless, that completely misses the point.
Being old-fashioned on purpose—or homesteading, or slow living, or whatever the heck you want to call this sort of life I’ve been teaching and living for 16 years—has never been about following an imaginary set of lifestyle rules or pretending life always fits into neat little boxes.
It’s about paying attention.
Paying attention doesn’t automatically make us better people, but it does make us more human in a world that’s doing everything it can to numb us. And that’s no small thing.
So would I accept central air if someone offered to install it for free tomorrow? Probably.
I have no interest in being a martyr or earning some sort of simplicity merit badge.
But this season of sweating and opening and closing windows has got me thinking…
How sometimes convenience doesn’t just insulate us from discomfort, Sometimes it insulates us from awareness, too.
These little rhythms—whether we choose them or whether life hands them to us—pull us back into our bodies.
They help us notice the wind. The seasons. The relief of a cool evening. The smell after a thunderstorm. The satisfaction of hanging clothes on the line or opening the windows at just the right moment.
In participating in those things, we wake up in the best of ways.
And to me, that’s what Old-Fashioned on Purpose has always been about.
It’s never been about wholly rejecting modern life or being self-righteous or demanding that the old ways are ALWAYS better.
It’s just about choosing (or sometimes simply accepting) the kinds of ordinary rhythms that make us more awake to the life we’re already living.
When I compare my awareness this summer to last summer—when I hardly knew what temperature it was outside because every room stayed exactly the same—I realize this hot little house of mine isn’t all bad.
It’s made me pay attention again.
Which just so happens to be a theme of my life right now.
And I think that’s a pretty good thing.
-Jill
Another excellent, insightful article you’ve written that causes me to spend some dedicated time on introspection on my life.
Thank you, Jill.
Hi Jill,
I love your post. And there is an extra blessing in sitting outside on your porch if it’s near sunset/sunrise. Those first and last 30minutes of light have a special quality that refreshes and repairs our mitochondria in our eyes, and helps vision by looking at tge light next to the sun. How wonderful is that!!
And it also resets our circadian rythym if we are getting outside light in the morning because it resets our internal countdown clock for that night’s sleep and melatonin production. I’m guessing you know all this already, but how good God is to us, that he provides beauty and restoration through sunrises, sunsets and light!!!
Bless you and yours abundantly Jill. I too have a clothesline and no AC. I too run around opening/closing windows. Lol.
Father God please send your refreshing in all ways through all means to Jill and her family. Especially may she have increased ability/time to read and soak in your Word with her Counselor- Holy Spirit. Thank you for her encouragements and your truths that she writes to us all.
Bless your socks off!
Linda
Discomfort increases awareness. ? Nicely said.
The other “stuff” is probably just for you, your family, and inner circle. Us out here gaining inspiration, knowledge, and encouragement virtually… really can’t walk in your shoes.
Thanks for posting.
Keep pushing forward.
?
Discomfort increases awareness. Nicely said.
The other “stuff” is probably just for you, your family, and inner circle. Us out here gaining inspiration, knowledge, and encouragement virtually… really can’t walk in your shoes.
Thanks for posting.
Keep pushing forward.
?
Are your kids living with you Jill? This reminds me so much of my life changing moment – when I found out I was traded for a 20 year old – hubs and I were in out late 30’s – I sold the house because it wasn’t the home it used to feel like – and I wasn’t sure *she* hadn’t been there – ick – this is a total shock to me – I know you’ll come out of it just fine and hopefully you’ll one day feel like I do now – I think that POS for cheating on me cuz I have the love of my life now for 24 years.
Jill I like your way of thinking. Keep going girl it’s so hard to be true yourself. We spend far too much time in life following “the norm”. Now finally that I am on the last 1/8 of my ruler of life I realize just how much time I have lost trying to follow what I perceived as “the norm” I pay attention all the time now. I notice the stars, the trees, the butterflies, the animals etc. I notice what’s important I have always been a country girl & lucky to live on the country, but for too many years I forgot where I was from. You inspire me…..I get you.
It’s been said before but that is a REALLY lovely barn! Never having lived anywhere with A/C I can appreciate the new sweatiness if you’re not used to it, that timing of opening doors and windows is key. All the best from a slightly sweaty Scotland!
Love your posts. Keep it up. And there r ways 2 stay cool. Hang ice in front of your fans, think about geothermal cooling, attic fans. I challenge u 2 find more …
Jill,
I’m doing the same thing in my hot little house in Montana. Everything you mentioned about the heat and cool breezes and knowing when to close and open windows etc. I’m there! I love how you described it all. Just told a friend the other day that ‘suffering’ a bit is good for a person. Yes, I’m hot, have to do farm chores in the am or evening. Clothes line- oh yeah! Not gonna run that dryer OR turn on the stove!! I lay my clean sheets on top of my lavender to dry- nothing beats that! Please grow you a patch of lavender about 50 plants…you will have all the lavender you want, your sheets will smell awesome, you can make stuff with it, give as gifts, cook with it, and the smell of your farm will be awesome. Bee’s love it too! It does well in winter. Those porch sits will be even better with the lavender around. The best part of a day of sweat and grit is taking a cool shower at night and sleeping soundly with the hum of that box fan in the window! It’s the best!
Love reading about your journey. I am relating to it so much. Keep the stories coming.
Are your meal plan frameworks suitable for those who eat gluten free?
I tried my best to include ways to make the meals gluten-free or dairy-free/vegetarian/etc.
Free sauna is how I look at it! And , yes, We do without aircond in our farmhouse and wouldnt change it , also for reasons you gave….experiencing the seasons!
I just love your writing. It truly makes me pause, read, and think. Its a lovely reminder that there are still moments in time worth capturing with real words.
Thank you so much for the kind words. I really truly appreciate it. 🙂
Mini-split ductless A/C systems (some have heatpump) are a DIY thing. Might need an electrician, but the rest is easy. Practically silent too.
I love the new farm, you’ll make it great.
Beautifully said, Jill.