Conveniences?

Do you ever look around at the things we consider to just be modern conveniences, and wonder how in the world people lived without these things before they were invented? And the sheer genius that existed in someone to come up with this just astounds and awes me. If you read my blog, you already know that I had to do without hot water for almost two weeks. It was miserable, and I was so happy to get that resolved. It made me stop and think about how many things we take for granted. Indoor plumbing is something that we expect. I cannot fathom how people live without it. My mother grew up in rural Arkansas, and they had outhouses when she was growing up. Can you imagine needing to use the bathroom and having to walk outside of your house to another building, in the middle of the night? Or if it's winter, and there is snow and ice on the ground? And that scenario brings up another thing that is just assumed - heat. Central heat and air. Wow. I grew up without air conditioning, and lived in houses that used wood burning stoves for heat. As a matter of fact, my parents don't have air conditioning, and use a fireplace for heat, supplemented with small space heaters for the other rooms. There's just no way I would survive if I had to do that. Seriously. I cannot start a decent fire in the fireplace, I've tried. And I am so miserable in the heat.

And then I wonder about how all of this stuff works. Most of the time, I don't bother to think about it. Even when it's explained to me, I still don't get it completely. But it really is quite wonderful. I push a couple of buttons, and bam! I have cold air throughout my house, even though it's 90-100 degrees outside. I turn a faucet and I have water - hot, cold, however I want it. And I want to say that whomever invented water heaters is a genius, and deserves recognition.

Sadly, as full of admiration as I am, I cannot be bothered to do much research, and this is the extent of my googling:

"In the 1870s, Englishmen, Maughan invented the first instant water heater. Little is known about Maughan's invention, however, his invention influenced the designs of Edwin Ruud.

Edwin Ruud, a Norwegian mechanical engineer was the inventor of the automatic storage water heater in 1889. Ruud emigrated to Pittsburgh where he pioneered the early development of both residential and commercial water heaters. He founded the Ruud Manufacturing Company."

But here's to Maughan and Ruud. *raises beer*