Flies With Honey

We’ve all seen it: the grocery stores are stocked with plastic fruits and vegetables, most of which are laced with poison. In neighborhoods far and wide, perfectly good garden space in sunny locations is taken up by lawns, many of which are also poisoned. Trees are cut down to make room for more concrete, upon which to park even more vehicles, which in many cases outnumber the residents. And so we ask, what are we to expect of a society that lives on poisoned produce, processed noodles, and fast food? Certainly not engaged, environmentally conscious, intelligent voters. But I digress. Let us erase the paragraph, or delete it, as we say in word-processing circles. Let us have no negativity; let us not be bitter; let us laugh at our own foolishness in pointing out the painfully obvious.

And so the paragraph is gone, and we proceed to catch more flies with honey — although, come to think of it, honey is expensive and bees are a threatened species. But this, too, we will not mention. And what does it matter, really, if a few flies escape? Let them go, let them live their lives, let them fulfill their destinies. And let us not waste the tiny bit of honey we do have, because relatives are coming and no doubt they would love a drop or two in their tea as they regale us with stories.

Now, at this point — knowing full well you haven’t read this far, or are on the verge of clicking your way to something more interesting, worthwhile, entertaining, and agreeable — I’ll say that I’ve just remembered what I was going to write about. It’s a shame, of course, that it’s too late, for in the infinite space allotted me, there’s simply no way I can do justice to the subject. I’m threatened by the immensity of the internet, the cloud, storage centers, and the rest of it. Give me a piece of paper; the back of an envelope; let me write your name in ink on the palm of my hand. If you’re feeling sentimental, you can even scratch mine in the dust on your windowsill, where, wait — don’t swat that fly!

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