I always looked at air conditioning as a way to give us comfort
Last year we had a terrible thunderstorm go through our area. The lightning lit up the house like it was daytime. The storm lasted for what felt like hours but was only minutes, and it left a lot of damage in its wake. It had knocked out our power, and we were in total darkness. My wife has severe asthma and without the air conditioning, she was quickly going downhill. Her oxygen machine worked on electricity. At two o’clock in the morning, I was driving into town trying to find gas for my generator. I had the generator serviced, but I hadn’t filled it with gas. I had to go twenty miles to find the gas while my wife sat in the passenger with the air conditioning blowing over her. She was breathing normally for the first time in half an hour. I finally found a gas station that wasn’t affected by the storm, and I was able to get gas. She stayed in the car with the air conditioning blowing on her, while I got the generator running and the power back on. I guided her up to the bedroom and turned on the air conditioner and her oxygen. She laid there sleeping peacefully while I laid in the dark thinking about what could have happened. I always looked at air conditioning as a way to give us comfort. That night I learned how it was a lifesaver for me, if I had lost my wife. I would never again allow my generator to go without gas. I would never again take the chance of not having electricity and air conditioning.