Attending Farm School is often a lot of fun. Bee Keeping day was one of those unexpectedly fun and intriguing days.
First, let me say I am not deathly afraid of insects. As a general rule, I just don’t really know enough about them to know which ones will hurt me and which ones won’t, so I have a general cautious regard for all of them. I don’t mess with them, and I hope in turn they will extend to me the same courtesy.
I’ve seen the videos and the pictures of bee keepers joyfully working with bees in minimal or practically no protective gear. While it does look cool, I just assumed it was not something I would ever experience. Then Farm School once again surprised me with the opportunity to do something new.
We had a very engaging 2-hour information lecture by a very passionate and knowledgeable bee educator. (Dr. Jon Zawislak of the University of Arkansas) Then we donned bee suits and headed into the apiary. The bees were mostly just doing their hive things till we were all in there and then the dozen hives releases dozens of bees into the air. They flew around us and landed on us, but they didn’t attack. I chose not to wear gloves, and felt several land on my hands, but did not get stung. I even had the opportunity to taste the honey straight from the honey comb by pulling back my hood and licking it from my finger, but there was no fear at that point of being stung because I felt relaxed.
This experience reminded me that I am full of preconceived ideas and fears that actually stem from lack of experience and knowledge. Education is the light that pushes back on the darkness of ignorance and fear, and I am continuously surprised by the level of false information and fearmongering that happens during this information age that affords us all the opportunity to learn and expand.
Trying and learning new things has never been an issue for me. I’ve never thought of education as finite or and ending endeavors. And maybe it is for this reason that I have developed a flexibility in my mind that keeps me from grasping to any single understanding to tightly or permanently. I believe it is my flexibility of curiosity that helps me to continuously explore and expand my understanding of this world, and brings me into to unique opportunities like licking honey off my finger while surrounded by buzzing bees; priceless.
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