People would ask me if I was allergic to bees. I should have just said yes and then I wouldn’t have looked like such a fool when they buzzed around me and I ran away screeching with my arms flailing in the air. I wouldn’t have been so embarrassed if I had the excuse that I was deathly allergic and was running for my life. But I wasn’t allergic, I was just afraid and I had been for as long as I could remember. When I was around eight years old I went camping with my cousins. Camping and bees went together, and kids were mean to each other even when they were family. I was not a graceful runner when I was little; I got laughed at just for the way I ran. So a bee chasing me really did not help the situation. My cousins couldn’t figure out why I was so terrified. They asked me if I had ever been stung. Lucky for me I had a tiny little mole on my thumb that I showed them.
“This is where I got stung a long time ago; see I still have the scar.”
They were in awe. The lie worked for the rest of the camping trip; they felt sorry for me, protecting me from any incoming bees.
It didn’t get any better as I got older, no matter how hard I tried to listen to people explaining,
“If you just leave them alone and don’t panic they will leave you alone.”
They don’t leave you alone they buzz around your face, especially in the late summer when they actually chase you!
That is what I’m leading to. I did get over looking funny when I ran, or at least I didn’t think I looked funny anymore. So I started running a few times a week outdoors to train for a 5k run for cancer. It was late summer and the blackberries were in their prime ripeness around this dam where I ran. I did my first lap and made pretty good time so I thought I would run it again. I felt pretty good as I got halfway around. All of a sudden there was a buzzing around my head. It sounded as big as a horsefly so I didn’t even think it was a bee, and I tried to stay calm. I still had over 1k to make it back to my car. The thing wouldn’t leave me alone. I would go a little further and it would buzz around me again. Up went my arms flailing in the air! Panic set in, and the option was not there to stop, so I ran faster thinking I could outrun it. I turned to see it, and sure enough it was a wasp. I started freaking out; it was like a flying saucer buzzing around my head not giving up. I was actually thinking I might have to jump in the dam beside me with the ducks. I was running so fast but it kept up with me and was getting really mad. Not only were my arms flailing but words were streaming out my mouth, bad words. I looked up ahead and finally saw someone jogging towards me. I had a plan. Maybe if I stopped and talked to him the bee would latch on to him and leave me behind. Not nice I know but I was desperate, this wasp wanted a piece of me. I stopped and started talking to him, I don’t know if any rational words really came from my mouth. I was sure all he could see was the fear in my face. I didn’t want to stand there for too long in case it started buzzing around me again and I had to start flailing in front of this guy, so off I ran. I listened and looked around me. It was quiet, no buzzing. It actually worked! I didn’t slow down though I wanted to get into my car fast. I was never so happy to come to that gate and jump in my car. I checked my watch. I knocked off two minutes that second run around, although it was not worth it.
If that ever happens again I’m running with one of those bug zappers.
