Page 14 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 21

Community

for making the sweeteners in food
products. The rate of obesity and
diabetes should inform you of the
health issues we have plunged our
society into.

Bees are some of the most, if not
the most important creatures that
make our food chain possible. From
pollination without which no crop
will bear fruit or make food for
us and the honey they spend their
entire lives producing for our tables.
But they also happen to be the most
unappreciated creatures in our lives.
We have national laws that protect
the elephants, the rhinos, the other
wild animals and even give them
sanctuaries for their protection, but
forget the little busy bees that make long journey. That journey sounds received them but won’t waste time
our food possible. So, when they like some annihilation if we do not to ask me why they stopped coming
die or are affected by the change in do something soon to rectify our when they did?
our environment due to the usage dishonor of bees.
of toxic chemicals, we do not pay These memes may sound funny to That is how unserious we are with
attention to them. Why? Maybe someone reading this article, but to the things we know are life-savers
they seem too irrelevant with their me, they are not funny. They are in- but which we take for granted be-
buzzy busyness in our gardens. But dicators of how much trouble we as cause they come “cheap” or “easy”.
while we are less attentive to their humans are already in. But taking a But to the one giving it, they cost
plight, like forgotten maids, they bit of detour from bees, let me talk life and limb.
are busy trying to tell us that if we about the human and spiritual bees
do not change our ways and correct in our lives. Life can be very interesting or dull
the evils in our society, we will soon depending on those who we asso-
have no place to call home. But for Honoring our human bees ciate with and how much of appre-
now, let me say a huge “Thank You” ciation we allow to flow from us to
to our friends the little busy bees. I had a rather funny experience those who make life a little bit easier
many years ago. I usually received a for us. There are no small gifts or
I read a meme somewhere on Face- text of jokes from a platform I had small acts of love. It costs someone
book that talks about the bee. It says subscribed to and which I would something when they give gifts or
“The bee lives less than forty days, visits at forward to a few friends. After a show kindness to us and we owe it
least a thousand flowers and produces less while I think I stopped receiving the to ourselves to appreciate such peo-
than a tea spoon of honey. For us it is only sms and thus stopped forwarding to ple who go out of their way to reach
a teaspoon of honey, but for the bee, it is friends. A particular female friend out to us. Life is a gift on its own
a life.” that was among those I sent the and like the little busy bees who do
My wife, seeing that I was writing jokes to, called me and was asking not rest to both produce our food
an article about the bee, sent me an- about the jokes and that she misses and also put golden sweetness on
other meme talking about the plight them. I don’t remember what I told our tables, we must be those who
of bees. The meme says “I’m hungry her that day exactly, but in my mind give life to others, appreciate those
please plant flowers.” And the picture I was like, if the jokes were things who give out of their lives to us in
that was used was a pencil drawing that you liked and would have loved terms of time, money, gifts, good
of a bee that looked really hungry to continue to have, how come you thoughts and any other things they
with an empty bowl, frustrated and never even deemed it fit to say thank give. From the bottom of my heart,
with its belongings tied to a stick you or even say hello whenever you THANK YOU to every human
like an old pilgrim about to go on a “bees” in my life.

14 | we tell the true afrikan story