I hated the midges during my first spring living by the lake. At the time I didn't even know they had a name. I just knew there were swarms of annoying bugs everywhere and I even biked wearing a balaclava to avoid ingesting dozens of them at a time. Yes, even in twenty degree weather I donned a balaclava because of these damn bugs.
Last spring, they bothered me far less. I stopped wearing the balaclava and stopped complaining about the midges. After all, they're harmless.
This spring, I see them as a sign summer is indeed coming. It's a springtime tradition on and near the waterfront in this city, and I'm not going to let them bother me. I pick them out of my eyes and nose and consider it bonus protein when they get in my mouth.
The midges aren't going anywhere and neither am I, so I learned to stop worrying and embrace this slice of life in south Toronto.
