Sensitivity training in Maine has nothing to do with the mind set promoted in parts of the country that are overrun with folks dedicated to the arguably well-intentioned, but hopelessly unworkable notion of political correctness. No amount of word juggling, playing with connotations, or mangling word meanings, will allow you to remain safe in this state unless you learn the real meaning of sensitivity.

From late Fall to early Spring you can blunder through life in slobish, uncaring bliss, but during the half of the year that we share Maine with biting insects you really need to learn sensitivity - ... skin sensitivity that is.

All of our native bloodletting insects spend many hours learning stealth approach techniques, although, mosquitoes seem to pay more attention in class than the Blackflies. As the object of these attacks, the best defense is a coordination of hearing, sight and touch, with touch (skin sensitivity) ending up as the most effective. With a little practice you can detect the sneakiest landing, and aim a swat without even looking up from the control of the hydraulic log splitter.

As your sensitivity improves even more you'll be able to smash the little pests without much conscious thought, but you'll probably want to avoid the condition brought on by over-sensitivity where you swat at things that aren't there. Not only can it make you unnecessarily sore, but ... people might be watching. You can avoid pain and suffering, and the embarrassment of looking slap-happy by paying attention to the difference between a mosquito landing and the effects of a light breeze. Before you know it, people will be admiring your discriminating sensitivity instead of laughing callously behind their hands.

All grand schemes for coping with the pervasive unpredictability of nature have the potential for utter failure, and Skin Sensitivity is no exception. It falls woefully short, and all bets are off when two or more of the sneaky critters manage to make undetected contact. The resulting bites cancel skin sensitivity and overpower a finely tuned and trained nervous system with fiery itching. (See disclaimer below) You can ignore them (which most long-term residents eventually do), or resort to a slapp-happy, whirling-dervish retreat that can earn you the title, "Can't Dance with Blackflies - Retreats to Wigwam".