Ah, summer. The time of year when the sun shines brightly, ice cream melts faster than you can eat it, and flies buzz around like they own the place. We’ve all been there, right? A pesky fly lands on your face, and your reflexes kick in—you swat it away without a second thought. I myself ran from carpenter bees over two weeks ago and got stung horrifically.

But hold on to your fly swatters, folks, because today’s weird news story might just make you think twice about that instinctual reaction.

Imagine this: a man in Shenzhen, China, casually swats a tiny drain fly off his face, only to find himself in the hospital facing the loss of an eye. Yes, you read that right. The fly, carrying dangerous bacteria, caused a severe infection that left doctors no choice but to surgically remove his left eyeball to prevent the infection from spreading to his brain. Talk about a fly-by-night disaster!

This cautionary tale isn’t just about the perils of summer flies, though. It’s a reminder of how life’s little annoyances can sometimes escalate into major mishaps. We all have those moments when someone or something gets under our skin, and our knee-jerk reaction is to swat away the irritant, be it a fly or an annoying person. But maybe, just maybe, a little patience and a bit of caution could save us from a world of hurt.

So, the next time you find yourself face-to-face with an annoying fly—or an equally annoying human—remember this story. Instead of swatting away mindlessly, take a deep breath, smile, and consider a more measured response. After all, it might just save your eye, or at the very least, save you from an unnecessary headache.

Stay cool, stay calm, and keep those swatters at bay. Your future self will thank you.