Bee Like the Bumblebee (Part 1)
Bee Like the Bumblebee (Part 1)
Bee Like the Bumblebee (Part 1)
This is part one in a two part series of "Bee like the Bumblebee", written by Albert Gambo.
What a mouthful for a title but I chose it because there is a current report out on the decline of the global bumblebee population, which reminded me about an interesting aspect to the little creatures. You see, according to the aerodynamic theory of 1918-1919, the bumblebee, because of its wing span in relation to its body size and weight, should not be able to fly...but the bumblebee being ignorant of scientific principles, goes ahead and flies anyway!
I specified the theory of 1919 because according to Science Daily.com, "in recent years scientists have modelled how insect wings interact with the air around them to generate lift by using computational models that are relatively simple, often simplifying the motion or shape of the wings. "We decided to go back to the insect itself and use smoke, a wind tunnel and high-speed cameras to observe in detail how real bumblebee wings work in free flight," said Dr Richard Bomphrey of the Department of Zoology. "We found that bumblebee flight is surprisingly inefficient aerodynamically-speaking, it's as if the insect is split in half' as not only do its left and right wings flap independently but the airflow around them never joins up to help it slip through the air more easily. Such an extreme aerodynamic separation between left and right sets the bumblebee apart from most other flying animals. Our observations show that, instead of the aerodynamic finesse found in most other insects, bumblebees have adopted a brute force approach powered by a huge thorax and fuelled by energy-rich nectar," said Dr Bomphrey. "This approach may be due to its particularly wide body shape, or it could have evolved to make bumblebees more manoeuvrable in the air at the cost of a less efficient flying style."
Lesson one: you do not have to be beautiful to fly
Last week, I challenged you to write your own chapter in 2011. Have a look at this: Seven weeks ago, a homeless man in the United States of America was holding up a sign at an off ramp intersection. He looked filthy with unkempt hair, as most homeless people do, but his placard did not read the usual woe is me story. It simply stated "I have a God-given gift of voice." What is the natural gift of Innerzela readers? What is the one thing that you are really good at that you want to tap in to this year as the spring board for writing your next chapter or are you just going to show up at work as usual?
Lesson two: you only catch a fish when you have a hook in the water
The homeless man, Ted Williams, found his fish in Doral Chenoweth who saw him at the intersection while driving with his wife, stopped and spoke to him for a few moments. There is little unusual about this because when you delve a little deeper in to the story, you discover from CNN that Chenoweth, as a "multimedia producer for The Columbus Dispatch Newspaper in Ohio, is paid to notice people. He said he stopped because he thought Williams might make a good video."
Then it gets a little more interesting.
CNN continues "But the reason Chenoweth stopped goes deeper than his job. It's "standard operating procedure" for him, he said, to stop and talk to people who are homeless, whether he's carrying a camera or not. "It's part of my faith," he said after some prodding about his motivations. "You may not be able to help someone with money, but you can at least say hello, how you doing, and look at them."
Lesson three: When you make an effort, someone will surely notice you...eventually
Interesting isn't it? That you can go through life, showing up at work as usual, without thinking that the boss is perhaps watching the department to see who is showing spark this year for promotion. There is also a challenge here for my friends in the world of culture and entertainment. How many blind musicians in the streets of Zimbabwe are potential Stevie Wonders or full time hotel lounge pianists? How about taking a walk on the streets, finding a promising talent, giving them a bath, new clothes and a six month contract provided they keep away from the bottle? I remember, when the Culture Fund was launched, seeing this rural band perform their hearts out to an impressed audience. Kudos to the organisers for inviting them and giving them exposure! I wonder what became of them. Did the dream end there, are they sitting outside Builders Hardware in Johannesburg looking for piece work, as handy men, instead of recording with Freshly Ground or Shakira? Has anyone tried to give them a one month scholarship for study at Tuku's school in Norton?
Well, let's see what happened with Williams. There are millions of beggars in the US but only one, as far as I know, carried a placard that promoted their talents. There could be more, but this one got noticed. Doral Chenoweth had visitors that day and so he returned a week later, as promised. Wow.
Lesson Four: you will not get immediate results.
In our example, when you are down and out on the streets and that stranger says he will be back, you can be forgiven for trying your luck at the other intersection believing he will not come back. Not only did Chenoweth come back, he recorded him. CNN reports: "Hey, I'm going to make you work for your dollar," Chenoweth said as he rolled down his window and took out his flip camera. "Let me hear you say something."
What comes out of Williams' mouth is startling. It's a rich, baritone that doesn't match his craggy exterior at all. His enunciation is crisp, his tone smooth as suede.
Williams isn't holding that cardboard sign anymore.
After the clip was posted, it went viral. Williams did interviews on national television and radio. A reunion with his 92-year-old mother was arranged and he was reunited with her on January 6. In true American style, according to CNN and Wikkipedia "since his story first appeared, Williams has received several job offers. On January 5, the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA basketball team offered him a job and a house. The offer calls for Williams to do full-time voiceover work with the Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena. On January 7, Williams was officially hired by MSNBC to provide voiceovers for the network. Williams was also hired to be the voice behind Kraft Foods new TV campaign, which launched on ESPN on January 9."
There is a lot more to this story incidentally and we will discuss this in part two, next week. For now, like the bumblebee, Ted Williams was not supposed to fly but he chose to keep that candle lit, instead of cursing the darkness of homelessness. What are you going to do differently this year?
Albert Gumbo is a Zimbabwean, which means he has seen much in his life! Using his experiences from the University of Life, Albert argues that life is about choices in a thought-provoking presentation of P.A.S.S.I.O.N. Albert is represented by Conference Speakers International.
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