When I was a child, we had an arrangement with a beekeeper friend of ours. We kept a hive of bees behind our garage, and he gave us plenty of free honey when it was time to collect it.

The bees were very unobtrusive. I was stung only once in all that time, and that was when I stepped on a dead one. With daily exposure to the bees and some guidance from the beekeeper and his wife, I learned a little about how bees interact with people. If one landed on me, I had a good idea of how to get the little critter to leave without attacking. I even learned to find joy in watching them bob peacefully along in the air, even if it was right past me, as they went about their daily business.

It’s amazing how a little knowledge can dispel fear.

One day when I was older and we lived at a different place, I was trimming hedges alongside the house. I cut right into a wasps’ nest hidden in the branches. The wasps were thoughtful enough to let me know.

That day I could have snatched the gold medal right out of Usain Bolt’s hands.

If I wanted to finish trimming, I had to do something about the wasps. I found the necessary poison but was missing one critical piece of information: How long would it take for the wasps to die once the spray hit? Would they have a chance for one more shot at me?

It’s amazing how a little ignorance can create fear.

This was a blood-boiling Houston summer day. It was risky to wear anything more than a loincloth, but I was determined to have a heat stroke before I got stung again. My yard maintenance budget was too low for a hazmat suit, so I had to settle for long pants, a long-sleeve shirt, a bandana around my neck, probably some gloves and a hat, and who knows what else I’ve forgotten about by now.

Sweating and a bit faint but duly prepared, I marched with grim determination (and a little trepidation) to war. Holding the can at arm’s length, creating as much distance as possible between myself and the nest, I pressed the button, and…

The scary creatures plummeted instantly to the ground. They had not a second to mount an attack.

Sigh. If only I had known.

But now I do know. Just like my experience with bees, this experience took away some of my fear in dealing with wasps. Now when I have to deal with the potent little insects, I save myself time, sweat, and adrenaline. I just spray boldly. No stings attached.

Ignorance is a fear-inducing venom. Knowledge is the antidote.