FROM THE
PUBLISHER
Coroner Michael Fowler and
Publisher Michael Brooks at
Phoebe Putney Hospital’s
morgue in Albany, Georgia.
STRANGE DAYS INDEED
I try not to play favorites with our special annual “event”
issues here at South magazine, but there’s always something
about The Adventure Issue that calls to me. Maybe it’s the
adrenaline junkie in me, but there’s something about putting this
issue together every year that gets my blood pumping. Maybe
it’s getting out there and drinking deep of the South’s many
attractions, maybe it’s having the opportunity to meet so many
people who are out there blazing trails and pushing boundaries.
You might think, in the middle of a global pandemic, that
getting outside and meeting new people might be a little
more difficult this year. And you’re not wrong. But facing that
challenge head-on made the adventure that much more exciting.
Adventure isn’t extinct in the time of COVID-19, but it does
take a little extra effort. I wasn’t able to meet former Navy Seal
Chadd Wright (photographer John Fulton got the honor there),
but I have been able to gleam some of his wisdom thanks to his
30 Days of Excellence program. Featuring live calls from Chadd,
Jesse Itzler and Marq Brown, this inspiring weekly subscription
sees some of the top minds in their field breaking down habits
and routines that lead to excellence.
It may seem like everyone is using this time to sharpen their
skills and connect with others through a weekly check-in, and as
such my inbox has overflowed with invitations.
I’ve attended a few of these virtual seminars,
but few have had the impact Chadd and his
fellow ultrathoners impart on the thousands of
attendees each week. Most have tools to succeed,
but what this program did for me was give me the
spark that I needed to unleash those tools and get
my butt back in gear.
When COVID-19 hit, I worked straight through
it, not missing a day of work. I was determined
to get ahead while others fell behind. The
pandemic hit businesses hard and while some
still flourished, others had to close their doors.
The rest of us are in a purgatory of sorts, figuring
out next steps while the whole world falls down
around us.
It’s a strange thing, to be motivated by a
pandemic, but these are strange days. You can let
them drag you down or you can let them lift you
up. For many, these strange days have fostered an
urge to reconnect with family. I’m no different.
Shortly after the pandemic hit, I went home to my
own family in Albany, Georgia.
My hometown was at the epicenter of one of
the worst outbreaks in the country, and my visit
was partially just to see how truly devastating this
virus can be. With Photographer Paul Graham in
tow, I visited Coroner Michael Fowler (fresh off
his appearance on the cover of Time magazine),
Mayor Bo Dorough and drive-thru funeral home
director Howard Fields. It was at Fields’ funeral
home that the gravity of this disease truly hit
home for me.
It’s hard enough to grieve a loved one. When
a disease forces you to grieve from the safety of
your vehicle, you know the new normal is unlike
anything you’ve ever experienced before.
Set aside the politics. Set aside the endless
infighting. Set aside the line in the sand that
something as simple as wearing a simple mask
has become. These are strange days, and we
don’t know when we’ll see the other side of them.
But when we do, I hope we come through this
with a renewed appreciation for this wonderful
adventure we call life.
MICHAEL BROOKS
PUBLISHER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
14 SOUTH SUMMER 2020
PHOTOGRAPHY BY D. PAUL GRAHAM