19 March 2015
A sudden news flash on the TV (or, rather, "the tele")
or radio. There’s an armed standoff in London. You listen
intently for more information. These kinds of breaking news stories
aren’t welcome, but following the unfolding of events can be exciting -- from a distance.
But, if you are member of Scotland
Yard’s Metropolitan Police Elite CO19 Firearms Unit, you’re
likely to find yourself “in the thick of it” soon enough. Every week,
you spend hours dealing with potentially explosive situations in
which you expose yourself to continuous personal danger.
Few can measure up to the training
and, then, the crisis to crisis demands of the job. Sadly, fewer can
keep-up under the grueling weight of the stress. But, what if there
were a way to “de-stress” these brave and highly skilled
professionals so they could serve, not just distinguished, but long
careers -- in spite of the constant exposure to just as constant danger?
A DE-STRESSING SECRET?
Some, like one armed officer, “John,” deal with the stress easily. “John” has had a long career and coped well with the psychological demands of the job. What is “John’s” secret? Did he come from a long line of high performance police officers and, through a combination of genetics and family environment come to be ideally suited to the demands of his job? Or did “John” know a secret – a secret about managing stress.
In fact, “John” has not a single
police officer in this family. The only gun his grandfather, father
and uncles carried was a smoke gun. A smoke gun? Yes, a beekeeper’s
smoke gun. “John” knew a secret alright. Beekeeping!
Beekeeping has an almost magical de-stressing effect.
No one would have ever thought of it.
After all, what’s the suicide rate among beekeepers? I don’t
know. I’ve never heard of a beekeeper committing suicide! And,
you know what? There’s no shortage of professional beekeepers, but
there is a persistent fear that a shortage will develop in the
future.
Why?
Because beekeepers are, on average, so old. The current median age of a beekeeper is well above 50 years! Could it be that the real problem isn’t attracting "new" blood to beekeeping? The reason for the high percentage of "mature" beekeepers isn't a "problem" at all! The only "problem" is the rejuvenating effect of beekeeping? Could it be that beekeepers never feel the need to retire? Could it be that beekeepers are unusually long-lived?
“John” knew the beekeepers' secret. He knew that beekeeping by CO19’s Armed Unit Officers
would give them a new lease on their professional lives. But how do
you convince the hard-edged skeptics of the modern world. Would
anyone believe in the reality of this ancient and mysterious
professional elixir?
“John” knew he had to try. And,
I’m guessing it went something like this.
First, “John” made an appointment with the Metropolitan Mayer to propose the idea. But would the mayor listen to this -- only too simple -- solution to a serious problem?
“John” was confronted with a cordial greeting, but a serious look from London’s Metropolitan Mayor, Boris Johnson. “Good to see you, John.” “I don’t doubt your good intentions, but I’ve heard it all.” “I don’t know what kind of pop-psychological solution you are going to propose, primal screaming, natural foods, . . . whatever, but let’s get on with it.”
But, even before “John” could reply, the Mayor suddenly looked preoccupied. Gazing out the window at the city, the Mayor quietly revealed his thoughts. “We’re trying to deal with another emergency right now.” “Honeybee populations are declining throughout the UK.” “I have to find a way to encourage more Londoners to keep honeybees.” (long pause) “But, anyway, John, what’s your proposal?”
“John” had struck upon the magic
moment of opportunity.
The Mayor’s Capital Bee programme would receive support from a new club formed by members of the CO19 Armed Unit. “John” persuaded his bosses to grant £525 for the purchase of two hives and protective suits for the new Met Police Beekeeping Association.
The meeting between members of the CO19 Armed Unit and their therapeutic honeybees was done in a way that would feel most natural to both groups. The CO19 officers, wearing protective clothing and gloves, gathered near the hives. They were briefed on their objectives and the risks before confronting the bees. The officers handled the situation with their typical skill -- to date, no stings have been reported.
The honeybees --these small creatures -- quietly buzz with a style of flight that makes them, sometimes, seem to almost float in the warm summer air. Of course, bees can’t speak. Instead, they dance or move in certain patterns to communicate. Bees of the honeybee species, Apis mellifera, are thought to be the most natural therapists of all insects. But every rule has an exception. So, all of the A. mellifera family are natural therapists -- except the cousins from Africa, the infamous Africanized honeybees.
CROSS-TRAINING?
The opportunity for cross-training has not escaped notice. While the Scotland Yard’s CO19 officers are looking to learn to relax a bit more on their down time, honeybees have started anti-terrorist training learning to sniff out explosive chemicals. This elite bee unit, the “Bomb-lebees,” work in a hand-held detector and stick out their tongues when they smell explosive chemicals.
CONCLUSION
You can almost picture a CO19 Officer relaxing in his backyard on a weekend afternoon. His hive’s bees gently float in the air throughout the area. A lone bee approaches -- gently hovering. Quietly, the officer recounts the story of a tense professional standoff with a nervous, though potentially contrite, suspect. The officer explains how tensions built as the minutes ticked by . . . .
Gently and quietly the listening bee dances a message to the off-duty officer, “But how did that make you feel?” In another backyard, nearby, a lone bee hovers patiently by another off-duty officer while quietly dancing the message, “I think it’s time for us to talk about your relationship with your mother.” The officer swallows with a look of guarded relief as he begins to recount a childhood experience.
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