You vs Bee

This weekend has been quite eventful and action-packed for Kenyans and especially Nairobians, given the WRC Safari Rally that was taking place. For those like me who neither attended nor followed the goings-on of the rally, you were either working or resting. I was in the latter category, binging on Netflix.

After a heavy workweek and ignoring all the new arrival notifications from Netflix, it was finally time to let my hair down. Running through the list I had accumulated over the week, I came across a limited series, ‘Man vs Bee’, by Rowan Atkinson and William Davies. I couldn’t help but watch every second of it. Apart from the usual entertainment- typical of Rowan Atkinson -, the plot of the movie got me thinking and reflecting on our daily lives and choices. Spoiler alert, if you are planning to watch this movie, pause here and only resume once you’ve watched it. Anyway, let’s proceed.

What is Rumination? According to the Merriam- Webster dictionary, rumination refers to obsessive thinking about an idea, situation, or choice especially when it interferes with normal mental functioning.

As the movie starts, we see the main character Trevor Bingley (Rowan Atkinson), in court answering charges of wilful negligence, 14 counts of dangerous driving, the destruction of priceless artwork, criminal damage, and arson. He was found guilty and when asked if he had anything to say before the judge gives his verdict, he said, “I’m just really, really, sorry. You see… there was this bee…”

Mr. Bingley gets a job as a house-sitter in a luxurious mansion with a dog. He is given clear instructions and a manual to help him find his way around the house as he does his duties. In the process, he notices a bee that had strayed into the house and tries to swat it. He ends up knocking over an expensive artifact which falls and breaks.

Just like Mr. Bingley, in our everyday lives we come across challenges, and rather than think them out before acting on them, we depend on our reflexes and react (swatting at the bee). These reflexive reactions at times end up causing more harm than the actual problem we are reacting to. However, this is normal human behavior and happens often. What is even more important is your decision following the repercussions of your reaction.

Matters continue going downhill for Mr. Bingley when the dog under his care starts chasing after the bee and ends up in a study room. A room he was clearly instructed not to let the dog enter. The dog ended up destroying a priceless book and messing up the entire room. Mr. Bingley runs over all guns blazing but the room is locked, and he can’t access it. He notices the manual with the access codes is burnt to ashes and in trying to force his way in using a hammer, he destroys another piece of art on the wall. He eventually remembers the access code for the door, but it is too late to salvage anything. He ends up cleaning up the mess and trying to hide the damage.

This happens since he did not double-check that the door to the study was closed and locked hence the bee and the dog entered. The door failed to close because he had dropped some playballs and one hindered the door from closing. This is fate, hence the need to double-check whenever taking up important assignments no matter how intuitive it could be - like closing a door. The manual burnt to ashes since he placed it on the burner and lit the wrong burner while trying to prepare a meal for himself. It all boils down to negligence.

The main theme for the series however is “obsessing over small stupid things that absolutely do not matter” according to the words of Mr. Bingley’s ex-wife. In their conversation, we learn that previously, he had been sacked at ASDA because of an evil trolley, a shredder attacked him at the estate agents, and this time, a bee was on his case.

In summary, due to his obsession with pursuing the bee, Mr. Bingley ended up destroying the home that was left under his care. He almost kills the dog through asphyxiation. He fails to notice burglars who break into the home to steal the artwork while they’re right under his nose. He recklessly drives and destroys the homeowner’s classic E-type jaguar. He even cuts through the console and body of the car pursuing the bee. When you think he has realized just how far he has gone with his antics, he creates a bomb to blow up the bee. This leads to a chain of events that results in setting another piece of art on fire. Oh, and that’s not the end of it. The chapter ends with him holding a blowtorch, having set the entire house on fire right when the homeowners were returning.

We often find ourselves in Mr. Bingley’s situation in our day-to-day engagements whether as students, employees, entrepreneurs or even within our families. Giving small and insignificant problems too much focus at the expense of the more important issues. We focus on a tree rather than the forest. In a world where time and other resources are scarce, this approach yields a net negative effect.

Can you identify what the bee in your life is? Is it that one concept that you just can’t crack that prevents you from studying the rest of your course? Is it that annoying colleague who is almost making you quit your job? Is it that family member who always awakens your insecurities and complexes? Is it the fear of missing out or not fitting in? Do they deserve the time and effort you put in? is there a better use for your time and energy? Are your time and effort making you better at the end of the day? How bad can things get if you just ignore them?

These are the questions we should be asking ourselves whenever we come face to face with the bees in our lives. It is said that 90% of the things that stress us today won’t matter a year from now. So why obsess over them?

At the end of the sitcom, Mr. Bingley is sentenced to 3 years in prison. Plot twist, 3 months into his sentence, he uncovers a massive insurance fraud case by the homeowner. He is pardoned and rewarded ￡5,000. He takes his daughter for the holiday he had promised her earlier, and guess what? Another bee appears and we’re back to square one.

It’s not going to be easy dealing with the bees in our lives. They will keep reappearing, and the next will be more annoying than the last. But what to do? Just like everything else, discipline and commitment are required.

Fact: Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly, but it doesn’t know that. So, it goes on flying anyway. If the bumblebee does something impossible every day, so can you. Have a bee_you_tiful week.