I originally wrote this story on Medium here.
I was in Forsyth Park when I learned about the moss hanging in the trees. It clung to the branches like bags caught in a tree after a disruptive house party. On a nearby bench, several middle-aged black gentleman sat. They were folding long blades of some kind of tall grass into various trinkets. Crosses, flowers, and other things being sold for 5 and 10 dollars to passing tourists. They smiled and asked tourists about their trips while they continuously folded. Their faces looked like those of people who’ve been around a lot longer than you, no matter the age. After the crowd died down I ended up buying a trinket from them for a few bucks. I imagined what it would be like doing that all day, folding long leaf-like grass making beautiful little flowers and crosses in the pleasant afternoon shade. I asked one man about the moss in the trees. He told me that it was Spanish Moss, and the most locals leave it alone. He laughed a hearty laugh and mentioned that he once saw a tourist put some on his head while drunk and dance around. Little tiny mites, called chiggers, are known for biting and leaving uncomfortably itchy bumps. They’re found all over North America. The man continued to laugh to himself, and a couple chuckles could be heard from his fellow grass folding companions. Apparently the moss was infested with them.
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