A Breath of Not-So-Fresh Air

/ Quirky Girl

Nature freaking sucks.

Seriously.

It hates me.

And the feeling is quickly becoming mutual.

I can’t breathe.

I can’t hear.

I can’t sleep.

I can’t think.

I can’t even go outside without hacking like a geriatric geezer about to keel over on the sidewalk as a single delicate breeze threatens to collapse my lungs and suck the sole remaining ounce of life left in me.

But then, it’d probably be just as well.

After all, I doubt I’d be looking forward to going back indoors to face the equally suffocating mountain of laundry that typically awaits me.

Ah!

There’s nothing quite like a breath of killer fresh air.

Fresh air is good for you, people always say.

Ha!

Fresh air, my ass.

It’s bad for my health.

Plain and simple.

Sneeze, sniffle, honk!

Wheeze, gasp, choke!

It ain’t pretty.

Oh, what’s wrong?

Nature! That’s what’s wrong!

Sure, there are stunning mountains, oceans, and other incredible scenic wonders in this world.

But some days, those natural beauties don’t even begin to balance out whatever toxic crap permeates the air.

Speaking of nature…

The sky is the limit when it comes to the range of possible allergens just waiting to wreak havoc on the already inefficient human body.

What do flowers, cats, and dairy have in common?

They’re all plotting to kill us, that’s what!

From respiratory to food to skin, there’s a unique allergy out there for everyone.

But air?

Seriously?

Air is an essential element of life.

Yet, it’s trying relentlessly to kill me.

(Much like the water I frequently find myself nearly choking to death on whenever I attempt to have a sip.)

I haven’t been able to hear out of my left ear for days.

Then again, I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, what with all the chaos around me.

And I’ve gone through enough tissues this week alone to take out an entire forest.

One thing’s for sure:

There’s no inner peace when one can’t inhale or exhale.

But meditation and guided imagery can be quite helpful, from what I understand.

Except for the fact that all I can envision is hopping on the first flight out of town to a remote tropical island to escape it all. 

I’ve tried everything under the sun for relief.

Lavender and peppermint oil in a diffuser.

Sudafed.

Vicks VapoRub.

But nothing has been working.

At least, not long enough to help get me through the day.

Or the night.

So I shove a pillow over my head.

Suffocation might at least grant me some much-needed rest.

Breathe in, wheeze out. 

Repeat for maximum exhaustion.

I’m beyond help.

And the stress from all those sleepless nights only exacerbates things.

Stress?

Bad for one’s health?

No way!

It’s a proven scientific fact that stress compromises the immune system by lowering immune response.

And the only solution, it seems, is to escape to a land far, far away.

To a peaceful, allergen-free life on that aforementioned deserted island.

Perhaps I ought to wear a full face mask whenever I brave the outdoors.

That ought to make a great impression with the neighbors.

Bird flu?

No, nature.

Here’s the biggest irony of it all:

I don’t litter.

I always recycle.

I’ve been known to pull recyclable objects out of the trash can, rinse them out, and place them in the recycling bin, for God’s sake.

I freaking care about the environment.

I try my damnest to do my part to save the earth.

And, in turn, the environmental does its best to kill me as a way of expressing its gratitude.

The great outdoors ain’t so great when it’s undoubtedly trying to do me in.

But, as the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished.

So maybe the next time a passenger attempts to toss trash out my car window, I might conveniently pretend not to notice, instead of threatening to stop the car and dump the offending litterbug off on the side of a busy highway.

Take that, nature!

Oh, who am I kidding?

I can’t help myself.

I’ll continue to try to save this freaking planet, even as it continues to try to choke the life out of me.

Sniff, cough, wheeze!

~Happy Friday friends! Hope you have a wonderful, allergy-free weekend!~

Po somehow manages to enjoy a moment of inner peace in nature. Unlike me. There's no peace for me among the pollen.

Po somehow manages to enjoy a moment of inner peace in nature. Unlike me. There’s no peace for me among the pollen.

46 thoughts on “A Breath of Not-So-Fresh Air”

  5. Actually no, not a good weekend at all. The allergen has wrecked our household too, but I am as yet playing the nurse as I try hard to escape its devious clutches. Not sure when it is going to be my turn. After reading this, I dread it all the more 😦

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. After all your kindness and consideration of the environment, Quirky, it really should be nicer to you, don’t you think? Allergies and sinus issues are the worst… everything in nature must be in a hurry to distribute its pollen or seeds before winter comes. I found out after a recent CT scan (done for a different reason) that I hairline fractured two ribs from coughing when I had a bad bronchitis a few years ago. Yikes! Rest is the best Rx. If you can do it on a tropical island, so much the better. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I’ve heard of other people who have cracked ribs from coughing or sneezing! Of all the ways to hurt oneself… how insane! But think of all the ways you can create a more thrilling backstory for such injury! A ten-mile-long fall after scaling the top of a perilous mountain? A rowdy roller derby brawl? 😜

      Hope your ribs are healing nicely. I’m still working on that tropical island relocation… 😜

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Oh, I’m all too aware of the fact that the quality of our air (and water, and food…) is the direct result of mankind’s blatant disregard for our natural resources. So, no, it definitely isn’t nature’s fault.

      My writing style typically veers heavily toward sarcasm and wit, so while I’m truly aware that pollution is the bigger issue at play, making it seem as if nature itself is out to get me made for greater humorous appeal. 😉

      Have a great weekend!

      Like

      Reply

    • Ha! After writing that line, it occurred to me that it went against that whole bit about doing my part to help the environment. But it’s challenging to help the environment when it’s clearly going out of its way to make me miserable, and, in turn, leaving me no choice but to be wasteful by using a sickening amount of tissues. (I could be wrong, but I’m fairy certain using my sleeves in place of tissues would not be considered a good eco-friendly alternative.) 😆

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  13. Call a family meeting at once and declare a ‘mom needs to be left alone’ weekend (except for being waited on hand and foot to deliver you hot teas, etc)…and then as you get better, sneak in a few fun things to enjoy while you are being left alone!!!!
    Hope those nasty allergy critters abate in the next few days…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. Oh Angelica, how I look forward to your weekly posts. It truly makes my week. You’re too funny; I can just picture you in your environment and combating all of these things problems. This could be a sketch on Funny or Die. Have a great weekend and hope you stay indoors!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Please leave a comment!