As you may have noticed, this being an election year and all, social media hasn’t exactly built its reputation on things like unwavering reason, humility, and gratitude. So I was pleasantly surprised to see the black and white photo on this page in my newsfeed recently. The image had some text to go with it, along the lines of, “This is Willis Carrier — He invented the air conditioner” across the top, and then across the bottom, “Let us pause and give thanks.”
Not only was the creation equal parts deserved and unexpected in what has become a beast of a summer in some parts, but it had been shared over 13,000 times on the night I saw it. Pretty good for something that doesn’t involve a financial motivation, politics, puppies, or wine. And in a year where it seems like the extremes are grabbing all the headlines at times, it’s good to remember that there’s plenty of genuine appreciation left among the population for moderation — in indoor environments if nowhere else.