Reckless Recreation: Facing Fears

Today I faced a fear of mine and lived to tell the tale.  I have wanted bees my whole life. (Ok fine, I have wanted them for the past 5 years, but it feels like I have ALWAYS wanted them.)  You know how when you want something badly enough you see that thing everywhere, but it can't be yours? 

Before Aaron and I bought our house and we were in the process of trying to find a house where we wanted, for the price we wanted, and finding a bank that would be willing to finance a couple of student loan laden paupers, we would see abandoned houses and call out to them, "Give the house to us! We will love it and take care of it.  We want a house and can't get one and this one here is rotting."

I could go on here, but I am off topic, which never happens to me.  "Oh look a chicken!"  Ahhhh slap me!  So the above diversion was an example to demonstrate the concept.

This was happening to me with bees.  I would see beehives every where.  Then an acquaintance would get bees or someone would mention some special breed of bee they had gotten, but theses were survivalists and I was out of their league.  Finally my college roommate posted pictures of the bees they had just gotten.  I now had someone I knew and had personal experience with.  I asked her a few questions and got super excited.

Then I did what pretty nearly everyone does when they want to know about something.  I googled it.  I began researching how to be a beekeeper.  That of course led me to the next thing everyone does, watching You Tube videos.  That is where the fear set in.  As I watched them handle the hives with the bees flying all around and landing on them, I felt that wall of  panic hit my stomach.  Just watching and not even handling bees in real life had me feeling panicked and in an instant my dream was gone.  Right then and there I decided that bees were just not part of my future.

Now fast forward to just a few weeks ago when my dear friend and visiting teacher posted a video of her handling her hive as she explained everything to the videographer.  There was someone I knew and loved talking all about bees in her familiar voice.  I felt no fear at all.  Instead of watching and feeling panic at the sight and sound of bees, I was fascinated.  I wanted to learn more, I thought "I want to have bees!" for the first time in over a year.  

I explained  my experience and she offered to show me her bees.  I was so nervous up until the point that we got to the hive and she began telling me how much she loves to just sit and watch her bees.  The moment she began all fear was gone and I was fascinated.

They are such busy, industrious little artists, or as my friend called them, "little math nerds."

They never once acted threatened or concerned that we were pulling apart their masterpiece.

I got right  in close to get this shot of larvae and capped honey comb without even an antenna in my direction, let alone a "bee"hind.

Look at the absolute perfection of those honeycomb, and the COLOR.  Don't you just feel sunny and warn and sweet looking at it?

I could go on and on about all the amazing things they do, but the best part of the day?  Sampling fresh raw honey straight from the hive.  And to top it all, I was a hands on participant.

A HUGE shout out goes to my extraordinary teacher.  Thank you so much Hilary!!!