Landmarks

When you walk in and area a lot it becomes very comfortable, you navigate almost on auto pilot, subconsciously positioning yourself by the the familiar landmarks you often unknowingly register. Until they're missing that is.  Walking through Great Huntley Bank today I felt a little disorientated, I realized something wasn't right, the trees looked familiar but something wasn't right, I couldn't orientate myself. I looked for the landmark which I use to orientate myself in this part of the woods, the deer stalking chair. I couldn't see it.  I knew where I was, or thought I did, though now I began to question myself. A queer sensation. Where's the chair? When I found it, I found the reason for my confusion. The chair I'd used for years as a reference point has been demolished; I suppose the deer become wary of certain spots after a while.  I'd enjoyed sitting here looking out over the woodland. It made think how maybe to save space in our minds for other stuff, we distill things down to only that which maintains function; with the location of the deer stalking chair I could orientate myself in the wood, without it I'm lost in a place I walk all the time. If that makes sense. I'll have to find a new landmark now.