This means “A small but irritating flaw that spoils the whole thing”. But think of it from the point of view of the poor fly, stuck in a thick, sticky substance, unable to move, wings probably stuck in said substance and fallen off, so even if it got out of that sticky situation, it would never again be able to fly.
This is how I am beginning to feel, like a fly in some ointment. Not only am I spoiling the “whole thing”, I am unable to move and the more I try, the more damage I seem to be causing myself and to the ointment. I am quickly being sapped of all that positive energy and optimistic outlook I have hitherto been full of. Perhaps lack of a good nights sleep is instrumental in this latest depressed state after holding my head above water for so long. Even at the best of times, sleep depravation is never a pleasant thing.
The other factor is the ointment itself. I am trying as hard as possible not to mess up this ointment, I didn’t want to find myself in it but here I am. I fear I will soon be scooped up and dumped unceremoniously into the bin in an attempt to salvage the situation. But I am not a fly and I cannot/will not lose my wings. And who knows, if and when I get out of this ointment, I may have acquired some of the medicinal properties of it and use it for good. See, there, that is some of that optimism still shining through, so not all is lost. As the blog states, it is still swings and round abouts, there are some good things as well as all this mess.
This is the season for flies anyway. They are a bit of a nuisance but they still do serve a very important purpose. So even though they buzz around and cause great irritation, they are only about for one season and they would be greatly missed if they ever all go away.
