The Buzzing of the Bees

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Guest Post by Dennis Ernst

There are moments in life when you act on what you know and don’t think about it. That sense of knowingness trumps feeling and thinking even though it may not seem too logical at the time or make sense to anyone else. This kind of knowingness is often a reflection of your core values, who you are, and what you truly believe. Even though I was only four years old, the profound memory of a magical moment still resonates strongly with me.

It was spring time in the San Joaquin Valley of California and a busy time on my fathers farm. Field were being prepared and planted with spring crops and the busy season ahead. My father had brought in a huge stack of cannery boxes which would be used to haul vegetables to local canneries and shipping depots.

Even bees were on the move with hives splitting and new queens and their swarms searching for new homes. My father had always told me that if I would never hurt a bee, the bees wouldn’t hurt me. That made sense to me, and I enjoyed watching them as the worked the flowers.

One morning before breakfast I headed out to see what was happening in the barnyard and discovered that a big swarm of honeybees had made a rest stop on the corner of one of the piles of boxes. It was like a big cloud of bees, and I had never seen anything like it. This called for a closer inspection.

Slowly, I walked up to the swarm to see what they were doing. The humming sound they made was wonderful. I remembered what my father had said about not hurting them, so I was very careful as I eased my way closer. What were they doing in that cloud? Maybe if I got right up to them I could see what was going on.

As I got near the swarm, some of the swarm shifted from the boxes to me! Now the bees were all over me and tickled as the crawled around my face and shoulders. The buzzing sound was as delicious as honey, and I loved that the bees were so careful and friendly. It was truly a golden moment.

My reverie didn’t last long for the next thing I knew, I heard my mother screaming for my father. When he arrived, they both looked very upset. I wondered what was bothering them so.

My father came towards me but stopped a good ways back. He called me and said to come to him slowly. I really didn’t want to leave the bees and the wonderful buzzing they were making, but I could see he was upset about something.

Slowly, I started walking away and when I got a few steps from the boxes , the bee left me and settled back on the corner of the boxes again. 

“Dennis, what were you doing in those bees?” my father asked. “Don’t you know you could have gotten stung a hundred times?”

“Dad,” I replied, “you told me if I didn’t hurt the bees they wouldn’t hurt me either. I like the bees and they like me too!”

It was a few moments before my parents regained their composure and made me promise that I wouldn’t play with the bees again. I was disappointed, as I knew the bees liked me too.

I’ve never forgotten this moment and the deep buzzing sound. It would be many years before I would discover that same deep buzzing during contemplation. This memory returns now and then to remind me of my inner worlds and to remember who I am.

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Dennis Ernst is a retired Professional Land Surveyor who now devotes his time to sharing the natural beauty he finds on his many treks through photography, blogs, and poetry. Please visit his website, Dennis Ernst Photography, for a glimpse into his fascinating world.

Please note: Images are for illustration purposes only unless otherwise specified. Any resemblance to actual persons, either living or dead, is purely coincidental.