GNV Swamp Heat

I’ve been sick the past two weeks. Nothing serious…probably. Well, serious enough that I canceled an interview and missed a podcast episode. Maybe a cold, maybe one of those weird post pandemic flu adjacent mysteries that hits like a brick, overstays its welcome, and leaves you feeling like a wrung out washcloth. For me, it always settles in the lungs. Even when I feel better, the cough hangs out for days, claiming squatters’ rights.

During this latest go round, I did what you’re supposed to do. Rested. Drank fluids. Stayed inside in the cool, conditioned air. But I didn’t start to feel better until I stepped outside in a Gainesville afternoon where the air wrapped around me and the swampy breath of summer made it easier to breathe. I stood in the heat and just let it sink in. No breeze. No relief. Just the slow, humid exhale of this town being a living, breathing, moss-draped sauna. There’s something healing about it. Not just for the lungs, but for the soul too. Yes, summer here is unapologetic and a little bit gross. It’s not polite, but it is real. And, at times, I really love it.