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My terror of bees and wasps goes back a long way, with its roots in childhood when I innocently put my hand on a screen door handle and a wasp was lying in wait.
From then on I had a healthy respect for the nasty creatures, just avoiding them and going about my life. I was stung once again as a teenager by a bumblebee who happened to fly into my big toe! Now that was just not fair! Still, I went about outdoor life as normal, avoiding them.
Somewhere around 1986, right after my first child was born, I developed a full-blown phobia of the creatures. I simply refused to spend time outside unless it was cloudy, rainy or cold. I stopped leaving my car windows down. As I allowed the fear to crystallize, it steadily became a more paralyzing influence on my life.
I remember our 10th wedding anniversary trip that year- a very special one to me, for we were going to a place where I had spent many happy weeks of my childhood at a lake in Grove, Oklahoma. We got out of the car and were greeted by the old friends who had rented the cabin to my family all those years, and I early took my husband to show him the fishing dock out on the water. When we got inside the dock, I was surrounded by a swarm of black wasps swirling all around me and making that horrible sound. I was petrified and ran screaming up the wood walkway to the shore.
Although I was not stung even once, I was a basket case and rather than spend time there as we had planned, I had to get away from there. It was pathetic and I was furious with myself.
The next 10 years, I spent my summers in fear. I missed out on playgrounds, fishing, you name it - if it was outdoors, I just didn't do it.
About five years ago, I became disabled and suddenly developed an interest in gardening. I started spending a lot of time outdoors and watching the bumblebees and wasps go about their lives. Somehow I realized they really weren't out to get me (the exception being the yellowjackets, who ARE out to get everyone!)
This summer I had gotten so brave that I started going around town with my car windows rolled down. I had a plant sale and a customer wanted a particular hosta dug which had - you guessed it - a bumblebee sitting right on the flower! I dove right in and started digging, got the plant out, and didn't get stung! I was so proud! I thought to myself "Wow! I have totally conquered this thing!"
The other day I went through the REAL test! I was out watering with the hose, and felt something strange on my right hand (the one with the hose). I looked down and to my horror, there was a large black and yellow bumblebee sitting on my hand as though he just belonged there!
I froze, trying to decide what I should do. I decided to "get kind of Zen" and wait it out. I looked at him... he looked at me... this went on for close to a full minute! Then I calmly made my decision to fling my arm out as fast as I could, hoping to sling him off. It worked - he took off and flew the other direction, and I was not stung!
So what's next am I going to become a "bee charmer?" Oh, I think not...
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