why I'd make a good Buddhist

Obviously - I have a bit of a soft spot for insects. I'm no insect lover necessarily but I have never felt good about killing them. (mosquitoes and grasshoppers who are eating my plants excepted) For my entire life, I have been gaped at as I pick up insects from inside buildings and gently set them outside.

Friday was another one of those days.

We arrived at work and set about the daily benchwork. My coworker had noticed a giant (and I mean giant) bumblebee sitting on one of the ceiling tiles. We hemmed and hawed about where the fly swatter was and finally opted to leave it alone for now.

And then we lost sight of it.

A little later, another coworker pointed out the giant bee on a different ceiling tile. We hemmed and hawed again about finding the fly swatter but I could take it no longer.

I didn't want to kill her. She was big and looked important - maybe there was a whole hive depending on her or at the very least, a small bumblebee family! My very understanding coworker held the ladder as I climbed to the top and teetered on the edge of the top step (yes, I know - that's not the way to use a ladder and it did occur to me that I would have a hard time explaning myself to worker's compensation should I fall).

I carefully placed a wide mouthed container underneath it and then slipped a piece of cardboard above the top of it. We determined we'd definitely caught it and I carefully backed down the ladder and headed for the back door.

It was raining, pouring in fact and there were deep puddles outside and thick, pelting raindrops falling down. I assumed my bee friend would want to fly away but when I shook the container, she just dropped right into a puddle upside down.

All that effort and embarassment for her to drown in a puddle just outside the back door?

So then I set about rescuing her from puddle. Tipping her out of it and making sure she got to a dry piece of ground. Ensuring she was able to walk and not weighted down with water.

I checked on her a few hours later and she was gone. I can only hope she made it safely to some flower.

And I fully expect a very grateful Dalai Lama to greet me when I make it to the next world.