Ignoring The Flies

It's a gorgeous, warm summers day. I've climbed for a while and I approach the Paths of Tranquility, my place of peace, along the forest trails on the slopes of Beinn Ghuilean. Entering into the fragrant smell of pine trees, I start walking in and out of shade, sunlight bursting through the branches in glorious patches of warm light. Beautiful.

Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention the flies. They arrive with the nice weather, attracted perhaps by the sunshine and the small amount of my own fragrant sweat from the uphill walk.

So what is usually an unhindered solitary wander becomes a battle to ignore the swarm of flying beasties shouting "LOOK AT ME!". No...really....LOOK AT ME!!!!!!!!

For a while I'm winning. I maintain my Zen, and see beyond them to the always wonderful colours, listening out for the bird song in the trees. But my Zen is not always very Zen. And the moment comes when I obey orders...and I look. And then, inevitably, I look again. And then I slowly become irritated. You perhaps know how it goes. And suddenly I turn into a whirling dervish, hoping to fight them off forever with a spinning dance and waving arms.
And perhaps you also know how that ends. Or doesn't.

Learn to ignore the flies?

Maybe we can, maybe we can't.

Only way to find out is to keep walking, I suppose.