The Still
S he had just finished a two mile walk in the hot, steamy Southern morning. It was a morning that the deep South often experiences where no wind blows and the air feels thick with moisture. As I watched from behind windows clouded with moisture from the air-conditioned comfort, I saw the woman standing very still on the patio, her back to my view. She stood stock-still as sweat flowed from her. She made no move to wipe the rivulets falling. She simply stood. What is she doing, I wondered? Why would she not come into the cool air-conditioned home and take refuge and drink deeply? It was then I noticed her earbuds were still in place. She was listening. Oh, now I understood, she is listening to the end of a podcast or the end of a song. I felt a little uncomfortable staring out at this woman but found myself unable to pull away. More minutes passed...more standing. I begin to hear her....is she s...