THE BEE AND ME

Experienced dreamers know that everything in a dream, animate and inanimate alike, is conscious ~~ alive with information.   In our waking, everyday lives, however, we often forget to remember that everything possesses consciousness.

I was reminded of these facts, when I received a lesson in consciousness the other day when noodling (swimming with pool noodles) around the pool.

As I “noodled” around, minding my own business, soaking up the hot summer sun, I came across a bee struggling to survive an apparent nose dive into the pool. Poor little bee; she struggled hopelessly. 

I decided I simply had to figure out a way to get the bee out of the pool and back on dry land.  I didn't want to risk further damaging the bee’s already wet and soggy wings by attempting to scoop her out of the water with my hands, so I decided to offer the bee my noodle as a life-raft.  

No sooner had I introduced the noodle to the bee, she jumped right aboard and quickly found her way to the part of the noodle that protruded safely beyond the water’s reach.   I was amazed.  The bee got it! She instantly knew that this was her way out to safety and grabbed the opportunity to survive.  

Once she was safely out of the water, on top of the noodle, the bee stood perfectly still for what seemed an eternity.  Sensing that the bee may have been stunned a bit by her near-death experience, I quickly moved the bee to the side of the pool and gently tapped the noodle to release her to solid ground. 

Safely on the ground, the bee began to move her legs to her antenna and, what appeared to me, back to her mouth in rapid and repetitive movements. It dawned on me that the bee was attempting to dry off her antenna.  After a few minutes of this non-stop activity, the bee simply flew away. 

The whole experience reminded me of what I know to be true in my dreams: everything is conscious and alive with information.  This little bee was a smart cookie, don’t you think? She certainly knew enough to save her own life.  

After swimming, I went home to search the internet to learn more about bees and their habits, in particular their method of drying their antennae off.  Sure enough, I found what I was searching for.  I learned that bees often dry themselves off in the exact way I witnessed this bee doing.  Who knew?  Additionally, my research revealed that bees also clean themselves in a similar way they dry their antennae. Bees are extraordinarily clean insects; they detest dust and dirt and prefer a tidy, bacteria-free hive.

The next day, believe it or not, my trusty noodle and I saved yet another bee from drowning in the pool.  Yes, I feel happy about my “bee and me” experiences.  In fact, my experiences remind me of another intriguing bee story; but for now, I will let that story bee.

If you are interested in learning how bees dry themselves off, here is a link to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3isTvP3dc8