This is the first of what I expect to turn into many posts, not about the actual issue at hand, bear, but of a larger conversation we must have as a people about the planet and creatures with whom we share it.
When I was writing the first draft of this post I started at dusk with a pen and paper so to keep my eyes in tune with the diminishing light and the darkness to come. I am sleeping outside, in a bee-yard, so to make lots of noise, shine bright lights, and scare the bear that might come. The night before a bear took advantage of a short in the fencing I have set up and destroyed some equipment I had stored at the location. Afraid the bear will take to some of the colonies here, so I am here to train the bear that this isn’t a place it wants to go. The way that you wouldn’t revisit the fishing spot that had a scary clown pop out to scare you, I hoped to scare the bear that night.
He or She did not show up that night, or the next and the bees have been safe with the updated fencing.
This post is a kind of call to action. Have you ever interacted with a bear? Have you never interacted with a bear but have an opinion about them and how those that do should? I want to hear from you.
My hope is that you will share this post and it will stir up conversation about bear, deer, rats, and any other animal with whom we interact within the human society we built while I try to offer a new prosecutive of the whole conversation. Let me know!