The Day of the Flies

My view trudging west - Lee County, IL

The picture is fairly representative of the scenery that greeted me as I trudged west today.  Generally, there were fewer trees, and that’s why I snapped this particular shot.

I’m going to christen today, “The Day of the Flies.”

I might have come across as complaining a couple of days ago about the relentless south wind that was blowing me about and seemed to be sucking all the moisture right out of me. Today, I also realized that the relentless wind was keeping the relentless flies at bay.

I’ve lived long enough on this planet to realize that cursing my circumstances is a pretty foolish thing to do. First, I find myself in the predicaments that I find myself because of a whole series of decisions I actually made so any circumstance is one that I put myself in. Second, having gratitude for what you have is generally a better approach.

I remember on that windy day getting pushed off the shoulder during one particularly vigorous gust. I yelled, at no one in particular, “God…..thank you for the wind,” I’ll admit I was thinking something a little less genteel. Looking back, what I said was a much better response to the wind than what I thought. That gust was making it virtually impossible for the flies that made my company today to take station around my head.

Now these weren’t big flies.  They were probably about a quarter of the size of your standard run of the mill housefly. A bit like gnats, but just a little more burly. I wonder if the steroids we use for animal production are increasing the size of gnats? Probably a question for another day.

Anyway, today there was not a breath of wind, and I can only assume that the big gnats or very small flies had been saving their energy on the off chance that a hot and sweaty walker my stumble past their lair. When they saw me, they came out in force.

I resisted at first, but quickly realized that waving my hat or trying to brush them off with my hand was a needless expense of energy without any real gain. Eventually, I settled in and became one with the flies. They even had me looking forward to encounters with trucks where the wake turbulence would blow them away for a few brief moments of respite.

I’m grateful for flies who taught me a little about embracing the wind as a friend going forward.  I’m also grateful that these weren’t the biting variety, for they seemed completely immune to a healthy application of forty percent DEET.

There’s no such thing as the perfect walking day. Might as well be grateful for any day that decides to show up.