Originally, this was going to be just a regular blog about how we tried to stay cool when kids. "Cool", not in the sense of being trendy; more like, "it's hot as blue blazes ! How can I get relief?" And, that is a pertinent question now that much of the world is experiencing record high temperatures. My chosen topic was something we called "getting under the hose" i.e., spraying each other with a water hose.
A.I. (artificial intelligence) captures a lot of attention and numerous predictions about how this will affect all aspects of human life. I decided to install ChatGPT to give it some random, innocuous tasks. When I assigned it the topic of "getting under the hose" . . . well, I decided to proceed with my musings and follow with ChatGBT's version:
Our small Southern town in the 1940's and early '50's had no municipal swimming pool. One family had their private pool and my brother and I were regularly invited over, typically on Sunday afternoons. (In time, after many self-invitees continue to come, Mr. Schaub filled in his pool.) Thereafter, the nearest pool was in Raleigh, about 20 miles away. And, at any rate, I couldn't actually swim. As a young Boy Scout on a troop event to a YMCA, I had jumped from the diving board at the urging of our Scout Master. If one's life flashes before one's eyes just before death and you have just a short life, the flashing process doesn't take long. Gratefully, I avoided the dying part, thanks to swift action by the Scout Master.
Bereft of a local pool, what were hot, sweaty kids to do! We needed to be resourceful in devising ways of relief. Often the hose proved to be the solution and when our parents said o.k. to our pleas, we had 10 or 15 minutes of absolute delight.
My brother and I, along with any cousins who might be visiting and neighboring kids, would take turns as "sprayer in chief", sometimes with youthful mischief. Looking back from the vantage point of about three-quarters of a century, it is easy for me to see that this game provided a kind of group camaraderie along with heat relief.
That was the essence of my musing on the topic; then, ChatGPT came to mind. I assigned this project:
"Write an essay about the pleasures of 'getting under the hose' in small town South in 1940' when there was no swimming pool nearby."
An extensive essay, complete with Title, Introduction , Body and Conclusion appeared in about ten seconds. I include snippets of the prose:
"In the idyllic small towns of the South in the 1940' . . . where swimming pools were a rare luxury, people found joy in the simplest of pleasures. One such pleasure was 'getting under the hose,' a delightful and refreshing activity. . . This essay explores the pleasures and memories associated with this cherished pastime."
There followed discussion of topics like 'Escaping the Southern Heat'; Embracing Resourcefulness; ... Nostalgia and Fond Memories'. The last topic noted
"For those who experienced the pleasures of 'getting under the hose' during the 1940, the memories remain etched in their hearts. "
Among my initial reactions . . . 'it lacks something. Warmth, maybe.' Then, 'I am glad no longer to be a History professor assigning term papers and other research projects.' AI is here to stay and will continue to produce more important topics than 'getting under the hose'. So, Satchel's promise:
Any future use of ChatGBT in these blog posts will be duly noted and not fobbed off as being original.
SATCHEL (himself)
