Busy Bee and I

Summer time is a time of life. Flowers are blooming, trees are populated with birds and little squirrels hiding among the innumerable green leaves. I enjoy the outdoor adventure.

When I was eight years old, I experienced rock climbing for the first time. Instructors demonstrated what to do with our four limbs while we were secured with safety gear. It was a humid hot day. I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. As I was waiting for my turn, my friend handed me a bottle of sunblock. It was a good idea to protect my skin. I applied the sunblock lotion evenly on my face and my exposed extremities.

While I was chatting with my friends, a worker bee was flying around us. I remembered my Mom told me that if I didn’t move or react to the bee, it would fly away. So I stood still. I was not afraid. The bee then decided to land on my lips. OK, I thought. My mouth was closed. The bee was dancing on my lips. Before I knew it, I felt a pinch – the bee bit me, with its mouth! Instead of thinking I was a threat and stung me, it decided my lower lip was worth tasting. I was in pain. One of the instructors saw what happened and quickly waved the bee away.

That was probably a 30-second experience, but it felt like an eternity. From then onward, I would purse my lips or cover my mouth whenever I see a bee. I would walk away from a picnic of delicious food if that was where the bee was. The thought of any bee could attack me is engraved in my brain, which causes me to have this not so subconscious fear of bees (or wasps). I am thankful that I have not been attacked by another bee again. I am also thankful that my house does not have any bee infestation or any hidden wasp next in the walls. I am also thankful that I can still enjoy the nature despite relationship with the bees.