Bear Scare

 We looked forward to having Greg and his sweet bride spend summer time with us, while they earned money for his upcoming year of college.  He'd always worked summers, either on a fishing vessel or in his Dad's Diesel repair shop.  Lorrie worked in an Ice Cream shop on the end of the Homer Spit.  She quickly became the manager and would always close out at night, in preparation for the next day's business.  Alaskan summer days have hours of daylight right around the clock.  Daylight.  Not bright sunlight but you can see.  

She would park her car at the top of road and make the long walk home on the dirt road.  It was late.  There were trees.  It was shadowy.  Greg had told her what to watch for as signs of bear in the vicinity.  Told her to listen for snapping twigs.  She walked that road with pounding heart.  

One night she rounded what we called The Sharp Corner then rounded The Bend & out of nowhere!- there was growling and bushes moving!  She started screaming, as Greg and our very youngest son, jumped out at her!  

Now we are years and years down our road of life and still...we all remember that night with clarity.  In all our Alaskan years we'd never seen a bear on that road!  They had played a mean trick on her. 

Her thoughts, emotions and body all reacted as if there was a bear.  Haven't we all felt that at one time or another?  

A couple of days ago I was heading to Yakima and far off, way down the freeway, I could see black smoke.  Getting closer I saw flashing lights and all sorts of rescue equipment.  I could see a van engulfed in flames.  Cars pulling over and getting out to see what was going on.  I slowed down, put on my hazard lights and seeing the distant scene, my heart just dropped and I put my hand to my mouth in shock and horror.  I started praying for the safety of van travelers.  My pulse was racing.  I was just stunned.

Slowing, approaching, gawking to see the happenings, I moved forward.  Then I saw it!  a truck sitting to the side of the road with the words Fire Training emblazoned on it!  It was all a practice run!

I felt my mind shift gears and thought about Lorrie, all those years ago, with the Bear Scare episode.

How many times do I get my exercise by jumping to conclusions?