I grew up on a farm.
There were many summer nights when I would take a blanket and go out into the barn. I would spread the blanket out on the hay and lay down. The breeze blowing through the cool barn was enough to cool my overheated body. The gentle sound of the horse always lulled me to sleep. I was dreaming they wrapped me in my blanket and I was lying on the hay. I could feel the breeze as it blew across my body. I was shivering from the cool air and wondered why I would be sleeping in the barn in the winter. I rolled over and looked at the clock. My eyes were wide open, and I knew I wasn’t in a barn, but in my own home and in my own bed. The chill was real, but the dream wasn’t. I got up and ran to the thermostat to see what the temperature was. Although the thermostat had been set to sixty-eight, it was only forty-five in the bedroom. I checked to make sure the window wasn’t open, but I knew it wasn’t. The furnace wasn’t running. I called the HVAC company to report my problem. It was already 5AM, so I refused emergency care. I knew I could wait a couple more hours, so I didn’t need to pay the overtime fee to the HVAC company. I took a hot shower and threw on some warm clothing and sat drinking coffee until the HVAC tech arrived at 7:30AM to repair my furnace. It was the longest two hours of my life.