Bees as icebreaker

Over the years I've learned there are several topics that make for great conversation starters in just about any given situation. For example, if you like sports, you will likely find a group of similar-minded folks at almost every social gathering and the talk comes easy. (College football is a popular topic as evidenced by the number of people who crowd around an available TV or Blackberry in the fall, looking for score updates while they attend wedding receptions, parties, business conventions and their kids' soccer games.)


If you're an instigator (like me) of "spirited" conversation, grits is a particularly polarizing subject that gets people going. Most Southerners love grits and most Yankees hate grits, and neither side will give an inch. Well, except for the occasional northern aggressor who admits to eating grits...with sugar on top. Ew! Bless their hearts, they just don't know any better. Besides, their relatives and friends will pull their Yankee card when they go back north to visit and admit they eat grits.

Okay, back to the original point — getting a good conversation going. I've found that bees are a great icebreaker. Recently, I've mentioned my bees at a wedding reception, at the gym, in a business meeting and to the nice lady who cuts my hair, among others. Reactions range from "I've read about the honey bees disappearing," and "Cool! When can I have some honey?" to "Isn't that illegal?" and (courtesy of Greg) "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!"

In any case, people are mostly fascinated by bees, even if some are repulsed. They pepper me with questions, information they've heard on the news, memories of relatives who kept bees and tales of bad childhood encounters with bees. No one seems disinterested or even neutral.

Bees are a topic that really creates a buzz!