Are you a giver or a taker?

Last year I fed a bumbler that was dying. Cold, not moving, bye y’all. I consider these bees to be the hardest working insects on the planet. So rather than just leave it I sat and waited, if you are going to pop your clogs it’s comforting to have company. After 45 minutes of just sitting and watching I noticed it’s antennae moving. More honey! A few minutes later it scrambled onto my finger and I was able to place it on a lavender flower head. Suddenly it fluffed it’s wings and took off for home. 
The past few nights I have watched as the bees I am feeding have done something unusual. As they recuperate the lower half of their abdomen starts to vibrate slightly, one got a whole body shake rattling. It may just be coincidence but it seems they were sending out a bee message, “Rob’s Drive Thru is open!”
During early 1971 our RM squad was taken from the Commando Training Centre to Culdrose for a two week jolly, only it was far from a jolly. The first week was spent at Sennen Cove on the cliffs. We did all the good things, clambered up little cliffs, then big cliffs, abseiled down little cliffs then big cliffs. So far so good and quite enjoyable. There is a technique we were taught that none of us knew about. I think it was unusual for civvies to use as it seemed designed for a quick exit. Basically it’s abseiling in reverse; you latch onto the rope pretty much as normal, walk over the edge, face forward, then run down the cliff as fast as you can. It’s intended to be used when you are extricating yourself from an enemy close on your heels. The first time I did it the boss looked at me, smiled, and said, “You look scared.” Stupid and naive as I was I said, “Scared! I was terrified.” 
“In that case go and do it again a time or twice.” Needless to say I really really enjoyed the next two runs. 
The second week involved helicopter drills with the Commando pilots. Yippppeeeee. Low level hurling around followed by us leaping from the aircraft and then going off to beat up an enemy position. The idea, decent enough normally, was for the helicopter to come to a 6’ hover, we would jump out and run! BUT, isn’t there always a BUT! The last time I did it, the pilot forgot to reduce power as the weight rapidly decreased. Consequently I found myself at 15’ pedalling at non-existent ground. I hit hard on my heels, which is a bad parachuting accident. My lower spine compressed and I was left immobilised on the deck. My mates ran off and did their thing. The air-crewman was lying on the floor of the aircraft looking at me as it descended, his lips said, “We have broken one.” They landed beside me, my mates lifted me off the deck and hurled me inside; the sick bay gave me paracetamol and ten days bed-rest, yeah, that was going to happen. 
The man behind me in this appalling image is John Parry, Malta 1972, we boxed against each other at Deal. I managed to get up the next morning. John did up my boots for the rest of the week; I managed to keep moving and ten days later was running with all my kit on. That’s what real friends do.
Move to September 1995, I was using a wheelchair to get around the house. A very clever surgeon welded my lower spine, I was given the option, have a go or use a wheelchair full-time. Go for it. Six months in a body cast and here I am, worth a fortune in Titanium, as they did my knees 10 years later.