Thursday, June 21, 2007

Bee Charmer





My son lacks physical grace in every aspect of his life but
watching him catch fireflies is like watching an expertly trained
ballerina. He has never charmed a bee (to
my knowledge) but I have given him the nickname, “Bee Charmer” recently. He has some type of connection with insects
that I have not witnessed in another child. He doesn’t chase after the fireflies or even run. He spots them, walks calmly up to them and
gently wraps his hands around them with little or no effort. He doesn’t harm them or startle them. He just
charms them into his hands, night after night, lots and lots of fireflies.





Bee
Once they are safely sealed in our makeshift Mason jar
habitat, my son observes the fireflies with great interest. He puts “food” in the jar for them (grass
and dirt) and discusses, in detail, their every move. As darkness falls, we start our journey back inside and my son
releases the lightning bugs into the night sky, vowing to catch them again
tomorrow.  I don't want to romanticize this too much.  There are some bugs that don't move on the bottom of the jar because they have fallen victim to my daughter's unsympathetic bug catching methods but the vast majority of them do fly right out of the jar.   He tells them goodnight and
walks through the door, back into the house where the only bugs he can charm
are the flies that swarm around our bay window.





It is with great love and pride that I bestow the nickname,
“Bee Charmer” on my son. One of my
favorite lines from Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop
Café
(one of my all-time favorite books), came from Ruth, “You're
just a bee charmer, Idgie Threadgoode. That's what you are, a bee
charmer.” My son is in good company
with Idgie Threadgoode. He’s just a
bee charmer. That’s what he is, a bee
charmer.







10 comments:

  1. It sounds like Truman needs to make sure that his college of choice has a great entomology program! What a cool gift to discover at such a young age!

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  2. Angie-
    I've been trying to think of the term, "entomology" for days. Thanks!

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  3. I can't wait to get a chance to see the bee charmer at work, I had forgotten about Idgie Threadgoode, thanks for the refresher, my childhood memories tell me though, that Master Truman would do well to stick to fire-flies and house flies, I don't remember honeybees and bumblebees having a great deal of humor about being stuck in a jar and having to wait any time at all for a parole.

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  4. We'll see Papa Dale. You know your son has dreams of honey production in our backyard.

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  5. Just reread this entry. I was POURING on the cheese hot and heavy. I'm sorry if some of you choked on it a little. It happens. Some days I can't help myself.

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  6. I likes me some cheese, yes I do!

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  7. Truman really need to go over to Sams house. Billy is a BIG TIME "bug" guy! They would have a lot in common in that area. He even has a collection of butterflies. You guys need to check em out.

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  8. So neat. We went out one night to catch fireflies, and the next night there were hardly any..I think they sense my boys presence ;) They were in hiding, lol!

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  9. Emalie-
    Maybe Billie and my son do need to hang out some. I am NOT into bugs. He needs a bug mentor :)

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  10. I should bring my son over to your house Candice. They flock to him like he's Snow White.

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