Yeah, this sounds downright spooky, or otherwise like a children’s story. But it is in actual fact quite ordinary, yet also very profound. And yes, it could also be a children’s story, as there is absolutely no good reason why children should not also read this. Maybe not everything I write and have to say should necessarily be read by children, but this they most certainly could. Right behind my cabin is a tree which during the past week or two has started leafing. You know, growing leaves, and also flowers of sorts. Maybe more blossoms, none the less, things which have led to the tree constantly bussing loudly. And no, it is not the leaves or blossoms that are making the noise, uh-duh.
It turns out that even though there are no formal beehives or beekeepers here on the island, such attempts at apiaries were made in the past (see, I also know fancy words, but just in case kids are reading this, an apiary is a place where beehives for honeybees are kept). That aside, there are a certain number of ‘indigenous’ bees here, with apparently two main types, being part of the humble bumble bee grouping, and then also from the typical honey bee family. Now both are very industrious and also very aware of what goes on around them (talk about mindfulness), and so with the first blossoms on the tree, and also flowers elsewhere, the bees came without being invited, nor bothering to knock. Not that there is any door which they could have knocked on, but well, it is, after all, the thought that counts. Or not?
But I digress, so back to the tree. Even though there are not all that many blossoms yet, the bees obviously don’t mind too much. With first light, and I literally mean first light, not first sunbeams, they are out there busy at it. You know, at inspecting the blossoms and stamens and things inside the flowers. Not only are they out with first light, but they don’t mind carrying on until it is almost totally dark again, or else perhaps when the temperature has plummeted too much. That means they have an about 16-hour work-day. During this time they will fly back and forth, coming back countless times to inspect, and re-inspect each and every flower over and over. There may thus be somewhat of a waste of time and energy, because they may visit the same flower twice, or else you could also have ten or more different bees each inspecting the same flower over and over.
Perhaps as humans, certainly for me having studied advanced business management, this is a matter for concern, because how much more could be achieved if they had things planned and organised? Yet at the same time they remind a lot of observing how the Chinese used to do things at the temple I was based at. The Chinese, it seems, also love to work, as they will be busy from early light until it gets dark. And that is why I would never begrudge a Chinese person being wealthy, because invariably they earned it, unlike many other cultures who expect to get (paid) much for doing very very little. In addition, at many functions and festivals one there were maybe ten people all running around working at the same task, and I often also thought this needed better planning and organising, until I was told that largely it had not actually been planned or organised at all, but was really happening by tacit agreement.
That means you initially discuss what all needs doing, and then you go about doing it. And though you made have more than one person doing the same thing, due to the ferociousness with which they tackle a task ultimately it all gets done. Not only that, but all necessary tasks will get done, one way or another. And by the end of the function or day, everything will again have been cleaned up and packed away. It is absolutely amazing to observe this phenomenon. There is invariably nobody shirking their duty or responsibility, no time for idleness or laziness. Not only does everybody consider it most inappropriate to not be involved and to help, but there is a subtle unwritten self-policing system in place, whereby a mere glance from one individual to another is recognised as sufficient chastisement. If only all cultures, but South African in particular, and even many other parts of the rest of the world, would only adopt some aspects of that.
It does not mean one necessarily has to or should be on the go 24/7, but when there is work to be done, then one should get on with it, and do it properly. None of the avoiding any work which so abounds in the South African society, but all working together for the common good. This can, naturally, be taken a bit too far, but on the whole it is a very good principle do encourage. It also appears to be what the bees make use of, with great success. But I am yet again digressing from what I actually want to say. It struck me yesterday how different bees will all fly around the same tree with a finite number (just in case any children are reading this, that is a limited number) of blossoms, and not only are there the two main types of bees, but they may not all necessarily be from the same hive or swarm. In spite of these differences, they all coexist quite happily, all occupying the same limited airspace around the tree.
So not only do they manage to accomplish this without any air-traffic controllers or sophisticated equipment, but they do not get protective over territory. None of this “hey that’s my blossom or my flower - stay out”, but the entire tree, airspace and limited blossoms and all and all are all shared by whatever bee wants to have a go at it. Image for a moment the nonsense of what humans have gotten up to, with property rights, and possession laws, and territory wars, and encroachment disputes, and it carries on, and then some more. That is not to say that there are not territories, or area limitations, within the animal kingdom (okay, to be PC (for the little ones again, PC is an acronym, which is a usually first-letter abbreviation for another word or phrase, which in this particular instance refers to being politically correct – which I have no idea what it has to do with politics) it would have to be something like animal royaldom, or else maybe we can settle on king- / queendom) but invariably the territorialism within the animal realm is due to concern over young, or due to limited resources. Aspects which may also once have been a matter for concern within the human realm, but which largely do not really apply any longer. Nowadays it is more a matter of greed.
I do not actually know where the bees here stay. Certainly none of the many hotels, B&Bs or guesthouses, another uh-duh, but probably just somewhere in a tree hollow or rock crevice, or cave. Hence it is also not possible for me to say how far they have to fly for this job which they do day in and day out, but to me the really astonishing thing was the realisation that they are quite happy to share and coexist without any turf-wars, or other issues. If one bee approaches a flower or blossom where there is already another bee at it, then they just move on, and finished. Not even the slightest attempt to push the other bee out of the flower, or threatening it, or making a nuisance of itself, you know like impatiently hovering around and bussing louder than normal. Now why can’t humans also be like that? Live and let live. If someone is there before you, just move on, and find the next potential source. Maybe because they probably also do not have the production and penalty systems we have created. Imagine a ‘checker bee’ or forebee (to be PC again I dare not use foreman) sitting at the entrance and keeping tabs of how much you have contributed for the day. But then again, they are also all very industrious, and hence no quantity check system is required.
!O-3|-W;-
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