The Beautiful Simplicity of the Honey Man

This podcast explores the themes of contentment and simplicity through the lens of a journey shared with a humble beekeeper. By recounting personal memories and life lessons, we reflect on the true sources of happiness and the importance of cherishing individuals who live authentically.

• Exploring the significance of memories in shaping identity
• Discussing the allure of materialism in modern society
• Sharing personal stories relating to a cherished beekeeper
• Highlighting the virtues of living simply and mindfully
• Recollecting lessons in contentment from intimate conversations
• Reflecting on the beekeeper's influence on understanding joy
• Encourage listeners to value intangible aspects of life
• Inspiring a call to reflect on people who embody peace and happiness



https://buymeacoffee.com/hereforthememories

Listen Notes: "Podcast Search Engine"
"The Best Podcast Search Engine." With over 200 million episodes, let the podcast rabbit hole begin!

Logos Bible Software
Logos Bible Software is a digital library application. It is designed for electronic Bible study.

Descript: Audio Production At Its Finest
All-In-One Editor: Remove filler words & noise. Clone your voice. Use the power of AI. Free trial.

Spotify
The mothership of all podcast sites!

Memories eStore
Get your Memories swag on! Or don't. Your choice, right?

HFTM's Choice For Its eStore Fulfilment
Printful is the on-demand printing and fulfillment company I use for my eStore! 'Nuff said!!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Here for the memories thought-provoking audio memoir shorts filled with stories, humor, anecdotes and commentary on social, cultural, business and religious issues. Whatever Lyndon remembers and thinks will entertain, challenge and inform is a possible subject. The collection of memories about one's life allows for the development and refinement of a sense of self, including who one is, how one has changed and what one might be like in the future.

Speaker 2: 0:34

Greetings and salutations. This is Lyndon Wolfe and you have found here for the Memories, my audio memoir. Some people call it a podcast. My audio memoir. Some people call it a podcast. They have a right to be wrong. These are reflections on my life and my experiences, primarily for those that know me and love me. More people know me than love me, but that's not really relevant at this point. Friends and family who, after I've left? Friends and family who, after I've left, probably wouldn't read a memoir but they might listen to one. So here we go. Glad you joined. I love Styx the band. They were my favorite. There were several others. That Kansas was another one that I loved In 1977, in their Grand Illusion album and a song by the very same name they wrote and sang.

Speaker 2: 1:32

So if you think your life is complete confusion, cause your neighbors got it made, just remember that it's a grand illusion and deep inside we're all the same. Pretty true, I think. But we to fill a void, I presume are busy trying to have the most toys. You know, he who has the most toys wins is a mantra in our culture. But I think he who has the most toys just has more toys than I do, and they have more toys to keep up with and worry over, which is exactly what they do. I've talked about a lot of people that were unhappy, but if there's anyone that was happy, it would have been the honey man, and he had no toys at all Zero. Have you ever eaten homemade honey, the kind of you know that still has the honeycomb in it? There's nothing so delicious, pure, simple, satisfying.

Speaker 2: 2:35

Living near the Great Smoky Mountains has its advantages. Years ago I used to take day trips to those beautiful hills to enjoy the grandeur of creation, with a blanket, a picnic, lunch and my Bible. I sat next to a babbling brook and sensed the presence of God in a unique way. Maybe it was the evidence of his greatness in creation, or maybe it was just escaping the frenetic pace and complexity of the world that we reside in, but I know that I found incredible peace during those experiences. During those times, one of the biggest treats that I indulged in on these adventures was a planned stop at the local beekeeper's shanty. I went out of my way to travel Weir's Valley Road, a 10-mile detour between Townsend, tennessee, and Pigeon Forge, tennessee, overly commercialized now Pigeon Forge, there in a remote and pastoral slice of heaven was this picturesque scenario like a postcard, and there an elderly beekeeper lived amidst a hubcap collection yes, hubcaps and beehives and a small garden. I don't remember his name and maybe I never knew it, but I will never forget him. That man was born and raised on that same piece of land and annually bottled the finest honey I have ever consumed.

Speaker 2: 4:07

Every year, as I purchased the delicacy, I'd stop to rock in the chairs on his porch and chat with the man who seemed to live in overalls, with a whittling stick in his hands yes, yes, something like you've seen in a movie. Oh, how he loved to share stories that were a treasure trove of wisdom and insight. The beekeeper had never been formally educated, owned a car or even had health insurance. He had only been to the big city, maryville which is not big at all, by the way three times in his life. But all he needed was right there in the woods, in the hills. He bartered with and borrowed from his neighbors for necessities and could literally walk to his house of worship, which was a grove of poplars and chestnut trees that spread their branches toward heaven.

Speaker 2: 5:02

In his backyard, the beekeeper, it seemed, was as pure and untainted as was his honey. He didn't see anything in modern society and its busyness that would bring him any lasting satisfaction. For that reason he epitomized, I think, simplicity. He was also the picture of peace, something rarely found in our world. I don't remember much of what he said during our visits, but I do know that he oozed with something even more rare than peacefulness and that is contentment. The source of his uncommon satisfaction and contentment came from his God.

Speaker 2: 5:51

The beekeeper is gone now. I stopped by once and his wife sweetly said that he was too ill to chat, but they did have some honey for sale. The next trip she met me at the door and matter-of-factly stated he's now in eternal joy and I'm not far behind. On my final visit the woman gave me the honey jar, three jars for free, storing up treasures in heaven, she said. As I journeyed on to my place of refuge, my sacred space removed from the profane world, to seek after spiritual fruit, I left with a distinct impression that the rural beekeeper knew what life was really all about and that's why I kept those three jars of honey for so many years.

Speaker 2: 6:50

This is Lyndon Wolfe and you've been listening to here for the Memories. I'm so glad you stopped by and I do hope there was some kind of beekeeper-like figure in your life, a person who didn't have anything that the world says will bring satisfaction, yet was ultimately satisfying, who never sought after the things the world says will bring contentment. They were very content, more so than you or most people that you know. I pray that you look back upon those figures and you treasure them, the memories, the lessons, the things they taught you that maybe you've forgotten and need to relearn as we seek after all those intangibles that are much more important than stuff, intangibles of peace, joy, satisfaction and contentment, just like that beekeeper had in spade.

Speaker 1: 8:00

Hello friends, If you appreciate the content and what it takes to create and deliver it, please consider a small contribution. Just go to buymeacoffeecom slash here for the memories. That's buymeacoffeecom slash here for the memories Much appreciated. ©. Transcript Emily Beynon.