Watching the bees like this, I often find myself thinking, “Wow, bees are pretty amazing.”
But I’ve never looked at them and thought, “Bees are better than humans.”
I have no idea whether bees laugh or feel sad.
When they’re angry, though, you definitely know about it.
We humans, after all, have to deal not only with the responsibilities and rights that come with being alive, but also with the whole messy business of joy, sadness, anger, and everything in between.
My barber once told me about the “80/20 rule.”
Apparently, in both humans and animals, about 80 percent are busy working, while the other 20 percent are just… not.
Taking a break. Hanging around. Doing whatever it is that they do.
And the more I watch the hive, the more I realize that bees are actually pretty good at slacking off, too.
Sometimes I imagine them standing around by the hive entrance, having a little neighborhood gossip:
“Have you seen the new queen? She’s been working nonstop.”
Or: “She’s been laying drones like crazy lately. Do you think she’s getting ready to swarm?”
Meanwhile, there are all these worker bees wandering around with apparently nothing much to do.
They’re not taking care of larvae.
They’re not making honey.
They’re not doing anything that I can see.
So what exactly are they up to?
“I’m just resting up for when I’m really needed.”
Something like that.
Or maybe that’s just what I tell myself when I catch them doing nothing.
Who knows?
Maybe the bees and I have more in common than I thought.