The day in the life of a reporter is never the same, always rushed and never consistent, although it is often predictable. There are the biweekly board meetings, the deadlines and the interviews.
And then there are the opportunities you get to not only fill that story assignment and meet that deadline, but to also face your fears and do something exciting at the same time.
Within six hours one Saturday I was able to conquer two fears, while also working. First, I conquered, slightly, my fear of bees, and then I ventured far above my comfort zone, climbing nearly 80 feet into the air.
The second adventure in my day proved to be the most challenging, climbing to the Elk Mountain Fire Lookout. I mean who wants to climb 90 stairs to a box 75 feet in the air anyway?
Especially when you must conquer those 90 stairs in the 60-mile per hour wind at an elevation of over 5,000 feet.
I was terrified.
Thankfully, I had brought my husband along on this adventure and he was there to push my butt all the way up those stairs. If it wasn’t for him, I would have gotten 20 feet up the shaking-like-a-leaf stairs and yelled to my interview subject that we would need aluminum can phones to visit.
With the help of my husband and the added bravery from my bee encounter earlier that day, I was able to defeat the fear and experience the best view I have ever seen.Thank goodness it was easier than the bees …
I have to admit, walking toward the bee hives while interviewing Scott and Kelsey Johnsons about K&M Apiary was intimidating, Bees are not really my thing, at all. I have spent time in an emergency room or two, thanks to them.
Being with people who I felt would not put me in harm’s way is probably what sealed the deal and made me gut up and put on the suit.
There it is, the kicker, I have to be honest. I did not approach the buzzing needles without proper protection. I wore thick gloves and a beekeeper’s jacket and mask.
Fully garbed, with my camera around my neck, I approached the hives, moving toward the Russian bees Johnson planned to show me. These Russian bees are the gentle sort. There it is again, me spilling my guts about not being as brave as I originally made myself sound.
The bees I held (I spent nearly 30 minutes with them) did not move. Only a few bees could be heard buzzing around, and despite my overwhelming instinct to run away from the horrific sound, I stayed and held a bee.
Of course, the bee I held was a male and they don’t have stingers.