The true wonder of the wild is the chance it provides to distance oneself from what modern life deems necessary and to instead commune with what we discover to be  important.  What we know on a primal level is real and authentic.  On the trail, however, the rich sounds, sweet smells, and lingering glimpses into ancient times can be easily interrupted by the tiniest annoyances.  The buzz of the horsefly and the stab of the mosquito can shatter the purest of calm.  Serenity is corrupted by irritation, even anger.  And the search for peace must begin anew.

In the wilderness, one anticipates these annoyances.  DEET and webbing, gaiters and swatters — we employ time-tested strategies to dispatch with pests or, better yet, deter them before they ever become a nuisance.

But what of the pests that seek to disrupt and distract us that do not telegraph their parasitic intent with a telltale buzz?  Throughout life, people and circumstance turn simple matters complex, impede our forward progress, and intrude upon our stillness and focus.  One must adapt both the unconscious awareness and impulsive action that comes naturally in the wild in order to combat the pests that intrude into our lives beyond the forest’s edge. Let the word “no” be the swatter that shoos the horseflies of superfluous requests of your time.  Wrap yourself in the netting of solitude to avoid people and situations that drain you of your life’s essence.  And build for yourself a character and brand that is repellent to what is frivolous.