Yesterday Derek and I woke up to a simple fact: the orientation was over. The beloveds were either back at home or on trains and boats and planes. I lay in bed and missed them. The “space” we created together, or fell into together, was so immense. What kind people they were. I carry them with me and hope that our bodies mingle again.

Although my life has been punctuated with periods of loneliness, this is not one of them. I listened to a forgotten song today that had a glorious line: “My friends are my family.” Yes. Even when we in the Evolutionary Collective are physically apart, we touch.

***

Derek’s flight was to leave Asheville at 5:00 pm, so we had time to roam downtown. Funky shops, restaurants and people, including those who frequent a very sweet location on the planet:

The Bee Charmer is a fantastic little store. They always have a wide variety of honeys and products made with honey. Think soaps, lotions, beard balms, shampoos, etc. My favorite part is the sampling bar where you can try whichever ones they have in stock.

Indeed. We walked in and were greeted by the owner. “The Future is Female” declared her t-shirt, which was adorned with a queen bee. “What should we men do?” I asked. “Follow,” she smiled. We laughed.

So, what are your honeyed needs? How about a “Let It Bee” ball cap? Or, if you prefer, a jar of sourwood honey. Also consider:

The Naked Bee Hand and Body Lotion
A Monk in the Beehive
(a book)
Flowering Pillar beeswax candles
Honeybee dinner plates
(winged insects under your food)
Lick Me All Over perfume stick
(raspberry, cantaloupe and watermelon)

Now, all of these products are very nice but the joy was the people. I goofed around with three female employees. Although we said numerous silly things to each other, it’s about thirty hours later now, and all I remember is the smiles. And that’s not such a bad thing.

I do recollect the education I received from the woman at the honey sample bar. I didn’t know what an “infusion” was, and I was surprised to see twenty flavours presented to my eager lips. Yum. The woman glowed more brilliantly than her honeys.

Who knew that such treasures resided within the walls of 38 Battery Park Avenue? You could show up there sometime, and reflect on the narrator’s words from “The Bee Movie”:

According to all known laws of aviation
There is no way a bee should be able to fly
Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground
The bee, of course, flies anyway
Because bees don’t care what humans think is impossible