Ego Stings

When I was a child...in the countryside of Guyana...I remember being stung several times...once in the face...by a red wasp...called the marabunta. I remember how...in
no time at all...my face swelled up...to...it seemed...twice it's normal size...
almost causing me to acquire the new nick name..."fat face". The swelling...was an
instant reaction...and couldn't be helped. Contemplating the marabunta sting...leads me to think of..."ego stings"...I've had in my life. From where I stand...now...I see this...as the kind of sting...a human being will have to learn to deal with...wherever they may happen to come from in the world. It looks to me...like human beings tend to register...the slings and barbs of life...very quickly at the ego level. That seems to
be the first level that gets activated...when the tactless...or "hurtful" remark...
for instance...comes our way. A person with a..."you looking at me" response...is
likely indicating...that he or she...hasn't learnt to journey...beyond this level. Human beings functioning at that level...tend to start quarrels...and wars. There are some spiritual paths...that teach about getting beyond ego. They have something there...that I continue to work on. These days...I find myself...observing the ego sting when it comes in...feeling the initial pain from it...then moving away from causing myself to "swell" from its jab. I am still not able to pull that off a hundred per
cent of the time...but...I'm getting there...I'm getting there............Quester.