A lesson about bees

 With the cold front, I wasn’t expecting to blunder into a bee. The bee seemed offended by my clumsiness and pursued me across the garden. Maybe it just wanted to see an old man run.

I couldn’t identify what kind it was. Even had I gotten a good look, I am ignorant about bees.

Terry W. Johnson, a backyard wildlife expert, says Georgia has more than 500 species. Most are in rural areas. But researchers in Athens, the university town about 60 miles east of Stone Mountain, found more than 100 in backyards. The greatest diversity was in backyards that are next to forested habitats — backyards like ours.

I blundered into the bee, not knowing how many species were in Georgia. I still can’t identify more than a handful of them. And beyond the bees are myriad species of plants and animals I know nothing about.

“Know yourself,” the ancient Greeks said, and in knowing yourself you’ll find you place in the cosmos.

I know little about the cosmos. I know little about what’s in my own garden.