Sometimes, when life gets me down and I need a little pick-me-up, I go stand outside in the rain to let a stranger stick a Q-tip up my nose. It’s just what I do. They swirl it around for a little while. Some are steady-handed, and some get a little squirrelly. Those swabbings wake me up like coffee never will.
I can’t take that away from the medical professionals. They look so happy to be in a little tent for eight hours a day, swaddled to the gills, and spending hours of their lives sticking Q-tips up noses. I feel like we have a bond, and that really keeps me going.