hornets

Sometime in the spring, a community of hornets took up residence in the mailbox right next to my front door. (perhaps they had first checked with my postmaster, who had long since duly decreed that I must put a box at the bottom of my front steps if I desire to receive mail at my address.)

One time, I lifted up the lid and was promptly stung. It hurt pretty much, for about five minutes, and then I forgot about it as I had other things to deal with.

Obviously, every time that I come in or go out of my front door, I must take special caution not to disturb them, or let any of them inside. I cannot allow myself to be distracted. But beyond that we have a live-and-let-live policy, to wit: they don't mess with me and I don't mess with them. So far both sides have been cooperating and living in peace.

This morning, I got to thinking about the U.S. 5th fleet base in Bahrain. Don't ask me why I thought of them, I just did. But if I were peacefully trying to live out my life in Iran, they just might resemble a bunch of hornets.

Not quite the same, though .... hornets don't go around stinging each other and stinging the flies and the stray cats and the bricks in the neighborhood. Guess its not a good analogy, after all.