Bee Leaf

Of course the image above is meant to bee read as a rebus (Latin for “things”). But it occurs to me that it will really only bee successful for moderately educated/knowing people. We tend to categorize “things” at a level that relates to most people. This basic level means that if you are (like most people) only moderately knowing, then you get it. Sadly, though, like a secret we keep from our parents, very knowing people should not get it. NOT that they might not have tried… Instead, they would all bee like:

“Hm.. ok, a rebus puzzle… which of course is the Latin plural for ‘things’ but let’s see now, what does this say… Well, that’s clearly the Apis mellifera scutellata flying toward an Acer macrophyllum leaf. Apis-mellifera-scutellata-acer-macrophyllum… That doesn’t seem to mean anything sensible… Stupid rebus attempt. Pshaw!”

So that’s why I spelled it out in the title. Any-who… on with the show!

While stuck in traffic today, my moderately knowing brain wandered into thoughts about religion. It got there after reading about a Pakistani taxi driver in Pittsburgh who had been shot by a passenger (probably) as a religious hate crime somehow tying in ISIS and Muhammad. (The taxi driver appears to bee relatively ok.)

I found this incident to bee depressing on many levels. (1) Here we are in the 21st century where everyone is supposed to bee zipping around in flying cars and jet-packs, but humanity still leans on religion. (2) There are soooooo many religions with incompatible beliefs. I’ve heard religious people try to question my stance with, “Why would so many people think there is a god if there wasn’t really a god?” When really, it seems like there isn’t much of a majority in any one specific belief; so I could say “Why would so many people believe in so many different gods if there was only one true god?” (3) People ACT on their damn religious beliefs and biases with little regard for tolerance, patience, etc. (4) Worst of all, it makes my own belief-choice seem even more pathetic.

As quixotic as it may bee, my belief does not veer toward the supernatural. If it did, it would bee much easier to stay optimistic and cheerful. I think it is a lot easier to rationalize evidence as needed to maintain a supernatural belief. The classic example being to thank god for a success and blame oneself for failure. When you tend to hold non-supernatural beliefs, you lose that advantage. Evidence that is for the belief (supports it) is still great, but when evidence goes against it, well, crap. It’s as depressing as having your favorite sport’s team lose every game, every year. Yet you cling to the hope that someday… SOMEDAY, they will turn it all around.

My faith is in humans. It has to bee. (Is that whole “bee” thing getting annoying?) We are our only shot at getting it right. When has a supernatural being EVER swooped in like a super-hero to save a race? Ain’t gonna happen. We need to clean up our own rooms; make our own beds; cook our own meals; and tend after our neighbors. There’s no “mom” walking behind us to pick up after us. No maid service for the planet. Maybe we (as individuals) just don’t live long enough to appreciate that. And maybe the growing population makes us turn away from our potential, substituting instead our genetic material. “Let the kids figure it all out.” We are lazy self-indulgent bratty wasteful slobs.

I hope we figure it out (“grow up”) someday.