My Summer’s Day Hero

Waking up on a terribly hot summer’s day is like waking up being burned to a stake. The unbelievable heat wave that the sun can radiate is simply too much for humans. I don’t think I would even survive a day spent under the scorching sun. The heat can almost make me want to die. Luckily, a little savior of mine comes to the rescue. I call him Mr. Electric Fan.
When the heat gets abominably annoying, all I have to do is switch on Mr. Electric Fan and he’ll start twirling his blades to produce air. During the summer, and other seasons for that matter, I can always depend on Mr. Electric Fan to give me a pleasing stream of artificial hair.

Electric fans are powered by an electromagnet. A fan motor is an induction motor, with an aluminum rotor that spins inside a framework of stationary electromagnets. Aluminum is not a magnetic metal and it only becomes magnetic when an electric current flows through it. In the fan, currents are induced in the aluminum rotor by the action of the electromagnets. Each of these electromagnets carries an alternating current that it receives from the power line and its magnetic poles fluctuate back and forth as the direction of current through it fluctuates back and forth. These electromagnets are arranged and operated so that their magnetic poles seem to rotate around the aluminum rotor. This rotation explains the phenomenon on how the fan is able to “cool us down.”

Back in the old days of the Industrial Revolution, electric fans were actually mechanical – meaning, they ran without electricity. They were nothing but simple wooden or metal shafts over head used to drive machinery. The Air Pump Centrifugal was one of the first workable fans invented by A.A. Sablukov used to operate coal mines.

In the late 1800s however, when Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla introduced electric power, the mechanical shafts were replaced by a more similar model of the electric fan we know today. Dr. Schuyler Skaats Wheeler invented a two-bladed desk fan between 1882 and 1886. Mr. Electric Fan went from a machine operator to man’s personal ventilation system. It went from a need to a want. Talk about development.

From then on, people started using electric fans as a relief from the heat. Many different forms have emerged. We now have stand fans, ceiling fans, wall fans, and many others.. From the invention of electric fans, the development of air conditioners took place.
The electric fan even paved the way for inventors to realize that man needed to cool himself down in the midst of the elements.

Sure, the electric fan isn’t as necessary as world peace and high-standard technological developments, but let’s face it. We would all suffer without the electric fan. Ventilation has actually become a need instead of merely a want, especially since our dear ozone layer has been letting in more heat than it should. It would be potentially difficult to get by day-to-day activities without Mr. Electric Fan to save us from the heat. Just imagine waking up to an unforgivable heat. The morning heat could already make you too sick, too weak, or too tired to get up. It would likewise be unbearable trying to go to school or work without it. Imagine trying to solve a Physics problem with a temperature of 30° Celsius and nothing there to relieve you. Why, your very own sweat might be enough to give you a full morning bath!

Of course, existing for the main purpose of comfort isn’t the most solid rock you could find. The electric fan gives us comfort in the heat. It cools down our body to alleviate us from that hot, horrible feeling in our bodies. At the same time though, it consumes up a lot of that precious electricity. If someone were to have the electric fan tuned up for 24 hours, then he shouldn’t go blaming Meralco for overpricing. Also, frequent use of the electric fan can lead to overheating and eventually fires. The machine would then be doing more harm than good. So, although it provides us with a great deal of comfort, Mr. Electric Fan shouldn’t be pushed over the edge. He doesn’t like abusive people

If someone were to create a worldwide survey asking what the greatest invention in the world was, I doubt mot would appreciate the electric fan. But hey, you have to admit Mr. Electric Fan is pretty useful. He is hardly recognized, but what he does for human beings is just amazing. It is through electric fans that people find comfort from the weather. It may sound trivial, but imagining life without electric fans would already be too much for comfort-seeking human bodies. After all, Mr. Electric Fan wasn’t invented for nothing.

My Best Friend July

I have always had a marvelous collection of stuffed toys. I wouldn’t really say I meant to collect them. Most of them are usually gifts from my parents, relatives or friends. They usually have no other purpose in my room than for display - that is, except for one special little fellow. Let me introduce you to July.

July, a blue, soft and adorable little bear was actually given by a friend of mine for my birthday. Childish as it may seem, he has been my best friend ever since he came into my life. Just imagine, a fifteen-year old Third Year student going crazy over an inanimate object.

I have to admit, there are times that I would look mentally deranged over my little July. I would cuddle him, embrace him, kiss him, and even talk to him even when there are other people around. In fact, I would even pretend he would actually answer. In short, I actually treat this product of Blue Magic like he was alive. I can’t even go to bed without him by my side. He’s my little baby.

I can’t blame other people for thinking I’m childish. Actually, I don’t really understand myself either. I have no idea why I’m so attached to something that doesn’t even have a heartbeat. It’s probably because I always find a special friend in him every time I need one. When I’m down and just want to cry, I know I can always pick him up, cry my heart out and hug him as much as I want. When I have problems, I can share my worries with him without hesitation. When I just want to let go and give up, I just look into his beady black eyes and decide to hold on.

I may look childish having July by my side, but I don’t really care. What matters to me is that I have a little something to remind me that life is beautiful. He makes me remember that there will always be a little kid inside of me no matter how old I get. He instills in me the fact that I will never be alone. Holding on to him gives me a sense of security. In my dark hours, I hold on to my little stuffed toy. I don’t know how he does it, but he has that ability to give me strength, and with this strength, I acquire the courage to stand up again and face the world.

Of course, I know that I should still have real friends to interact with. I know that no matter how a great help July is when it comes to my internal struggles. I still have real friends to depend on. The reason why I put so much value into July isn’t because I want to be alone and isolated from my friends; it’s more so because I need something to hold on to when I’m alone, I need something to give me comfort when I’m ready to fall apart.

Yes, I am childish, in a way that even I can’t understand. However, I believe that July isn’t just the favorite stuffed toy that I would eventually tire of. July is my secret-keeper, stress-reliever and strength-giver. I know he’ll never come to life, but that doesn’t matter. I’m happy having a source of joy right by my bedside. I’m satisfied with the fact that there’s something in this world to remind me that I can still stand up despite everything else I’m contented with a little reminder that indeed, there’s more to life than the pain. Thanks to July, life has been a little bit easier.