Run, Angry Bees!
By Chris Dunmire
During Labor Day week, while whacking away some weeds and brush with a manual swing-blade cutter on a wooded lot, I suddenly felt a painful piercing sensation under my left arm. After looking for a thorn or sharp thicket that may have stabbed me during a hearty swing (without success), I concluded that I had been stung by a bee*.
The last time I was stung by a bee was when I was six years old, horseplaying around with my older brother in a barn hay loft. I was sitting on the edge of the loft laughing with my legs dangling over, when suddenly, BUZZ! I got it in the back and then cried for an hour.
Reminiscing on that painful experience and deflated that my run of good luck just ended after three decades, I took some time to "lick my wounds" before getting back to my yard work. And when I did, within a few minutes swinging my blade and chopping down weeds, I was stung AGAIN on the same arm, on the side of my hand at the base of my thumb. I immediately dropped my things and took off running, this time hearing the buzzing around my head. Reeling with new pain, I called it quits for the day and felt great displeasure at the bees of the world.
Prior to the stingings, I wasn't familiar with the dangerous ground bees in the area, but quickly learned some hands-on lessons in both awareness and bee patrol, particularly how bees and wasps instinctively defend their hives when they think they're under attack, no matter who you are. Being the perceived attacker, I was the target of their sting, which I understand in the big scheme of things, even though it wasn't my intention to harm any bees or destroy their home. In fact, I didn't even see a nest or the two bees when they stung me.
Time certainly heals, and I walked away from this encounter with some new caution and curious wonderings about intentions, perceptions, and the interconnectedness of life. For sure, the next time I go weed-whacking, I'll be two stings wiser. Wouldn't it be great if we had a more diplomatic way of communicating with one another? •
* or a wasp, hornet, yellow jacket, flying knife
© 2009 Chris Dunmire www.chrisdunmire.com. All rights reserved. |
