We found honey bees to be amazing, wonderful creatures. My dad, since I was born, used to keep about 25 hives, my grandpa little more. There were many acacia forests around, which make one of the best honey in the world. It does not crystallize, it is light in color and has the best flavor. Besides honey, they also, pollinated sunflower, buckwheat, watermelons, alfalfa etc.
I am the 4th generation, as far as I know, to keep bees. The first time I got stung, happened when I was almost a year old, and I got 7 stings (per my mom) at once playing with bees at a hive entrance.
In the picture on top: one of my great-grandpas and below my dad and 2 of my grandpas surrounded by hives in acacia forest around 1980s. On the right: bees on my hand.
Honey bees are gentle in nature and usually won't harm anyone until they perceive a danger for their hive. Victor