Reality is a changing landscape that stirs one's emotions and triggers their memories.

Thursday July 16, 2026

Presently millions of people across the northern United States are moving through a hazy, uncomfortable blur of oppressive heat, stifling humidity, and thick smoke drifting south from Canadian wildfires.

Just this week, New York City's heat index soared to a blistering 108°F, marking yet another intense heat wave gripping the Northeast.

The wildfire smoke has become an exhausting added burden. Even on days when the haze isn't visually obvious, billions of tiny, invisible microscopic particles (PM2.5) are suspended in the air slipping deep into your lungs and bloodstream, easily irritating your eyes, nose, and throat, triggering coughing fits, and making it tough to breathe.

It is a particularly dangerous environment for children, older adults, and anyone managing asthma, allergies, or chronic respiratory conditions.

Because of this brutal combination, most of us are rewriting our summer plans. Instead of enjoying breezy summer walks, backyard barbecues, or afternoons at the beach, we are choosing to stay trapped indoors where the air is cooler and cleaner.

Outdoor exercise has been replaced with indoor workouts, daily errands are meticulously planned around the coolest hours of the morning, and even a simple routine like walking the dog requires extra caution and shorter routes.

I experienced this firsthand yesterday. I had planned to visit a friend on the North Shore of Long Island, but after checking the heat and air quality indexes, we decided to postpone.

Instead of the great outdoors - many people who embrace the energies of summer - are spending their time in air-conditioned spaces. (Be sure AC filters are clean)

If you are currently living under domes of heat and/or wildfire smoke - please prioritize your health. If you absolutely must be outside for a prolonged period, consider wearing a high-quality, well-fitted mask like an N95 or KN95. How wildfire smoke harms the body, and how to protect yourself

The most dangerous pollutants are the ones you can't see.

This takes me to ... the most dangerous events shaping our reality are also invisible to the people of planet Earth because they are the ones you also cannot see until their collective consequences manifest.

Wildfire smoke drastically disrupts and alters flight patterns for birds. Because they possess an incredibly efficient respiratory system to power flight, they inhale far more air - and therefore significantly more toxic particulate matter - than mammals. This high vulnerability forces them to change how, when, and where they fly.

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I hadn't seen nor smelled anything like this since 9/11. The sun appeared orange then totally disappeared in a puff of smoke. Is that a hint as what's to come?

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