Bees, Rats, and Masks- A Look at the American Problem of Individualism

         I am beginning to understand the reluctance of Americans to wear facial masks to protect themselves and others in the Covid era.  We have heard enough about the American 'individualism' and I have seen it in action in my own neighborhood.  I live in the West Side of Buffalo, New York, a neighborhood defined by houses and an occasional small apartment building.  The houses which often were once single family homes are usually broken up into apartments and I live in one of three in a home built in the early 1900’s.

            Having lived in densely populated cities like New York and Barcelona, I am surprised at how there is very little sense of sharing space and living together.  My downstairs neighbor is a case in point.  When she and her husband first moved in, they threw out some of the belongings I had in the basement, wrongly assuming that every space is theirs.  They put up a fire pit and bird feeders.  When I photographed photos of rats eating at the feeder and requested she take it down, she lost control and screamed that I was ruining her home.  Her home?  Rats?  We are all in it together in a rental.  Not to mention the endless smell of marijuana wafting up from her apartment into mine as early as 8 in the morning.  I have diffusers and candles (soy, of course) set up in all corners to mask the skunk like smell.

            The second case is the neighbor whose property is directly behind where we live.  She set up beehives on a platform.  As one friend pointed out, they are as far from her home and as close to mine as possible.  I pointed out to her that the bees are aggressive and that in a city beehives may not be ideal.  I was uanble to sit in my yard and was chased indoors by one.  

          She is bringing in another.  I told her the bees could kill someone who is allergic.  We have a two week old baby on the other side of the property who could be vulnerable.  The same downstairs neighbors (of the bird feeder dilemma) said the bees fly around their apartment.  Why should we all adapt to her schedule of feeding and cleaning the hives when we have to stay inside while she is in her protective gear?  There is no give and take here.

            So where is the concern for the greater good?  I don’t like to lump bees in the same category as rats but in an urban area they can cause problems.  The same concept applies to masks.  Can’t you just put one on for the sake of those around you?  Be considerate of those around you and hopefully, we can all live together.