I present today's edition of The Writers Almanac in case you missed it or are just not a regular listener. It's worthy of a pre-holiday read.
Bear In Mind
A bear is chasing me through a meadow
and I’m running as fast as I can but
he’s gaining on me—it seems
he’s always gaining on me.
I’m running and running but also
thinking I should just
turn around and say,
“Stop it! Stop chasing me. We both
know you aren’t going to catch me.
All you can ever do is chase me. So,
think about it—why bother?”
The bear does stop,
and he sits on his haunches and thinks,
or seems to think. And then
the bear says to me,
“I have to chase you, you know
that. Or you should. And, sure,
we both know I’ll never catch you.
So, why not give us both a break and
just stop thinking about me?”
But, with that said, he gets back on four feet,
sticks his long pink tongue out, licks down
both sides of his snout. Then he sighs, looks
behind himself, then at me and says, “Okay,
ready when you are.”
P.S. I have put my bear on notice that I will not be participating in any shenanigans or reindeer games this December. And that includes chasing. He sent a note back thanking me for giving him the month off to roll around in the woods and eat honey.
Perfect! Thank you Carol and John Martin!
Taking a deep breathe and releasing the bear.♥
Posted by: jacki long | 11/30/2017 at 08:41 AM
Thankful for this reminder to give myself a break already, It’s so darn easy to get caught up in all the fervor. (exhaling)
Posted by: Heidi Sue | 11/30/2017 at 10:24 AM