I do like the ‘idea’ of bears.
Living where I do, I have encountered a few in the wild over the years, and have seen more along our roadways on Vancouver Island.
As I said, I like the idea of bears but I must confess to a bit of unease when a bear and I are on the same bit of firmament with no protective bars in between us. I say that even though I’m a bit put off by the idea of wild animals in captivity.
But, bears are great and fascinating animals and I think those that shoot them for some sort of perverse ‘sport’ should also be shot. Sorry, but I don’t get it. I don’t ‘get’ any manner of big game hunting. Call me a softie, I’m not offended.
In fact, I’ve found that as I’ve aged I’ve become much more of a softie when it comes to the creatures with which we share this beleaguered planet. In fact I’ve found this transition has become so significant within me that I stand in peril of becoming a – gasp – environmentalist.
The transition has come about gradually. At an earlier stage in my life I was more callous; I daresay uncaring. I mean, I’ve always loved wildlife – as opposed to ‘the wild life’, speaking of earlier days – but I never gave it a lot of thought. ‘Getting and spending,’ as Wordswoth opined, I was more concerned about me and my well-being than that of the planet.
Yes, I felt bad about the tainted ducks and fishes after an oil spill, but I lost little sleep over it. The planet was, so I thought, infinitely renewable. This old ball of mud could take our insults and still thrive. Pave paradise and put up a parking lot, I like having big box stores to shop at.
Well, in truth, I do. But have now become more reasoned and more sensitive and I know the change in me is all about endgame. I think enough is enough.
Recently there has been a big issue in my part of Canada about the feds wanting to push a big pipeline from oil-spewing Alberta through my beautiful province so that they then can run tankers along a perilous but stunning coastline so that we can earn big bucks from thirsty China.
I’m going to be selfish here and say to hell with you and the idea. I don’t want this to happen. It will do nothing to improve the quality of my life, and stands in serious jeopardy of imperiling it. For what? So that some other people can get very rich? Why do I care?
I don’t know how many years I have left in this place and in some respects I am glad to be longer in the tooth so I won’t have to see how it all plays out.
But until the time I go I will approach life with some readjusted priorities and make room for the bears – and the deer – and the cougars – and the salmon in the rivers – and all the rest of the flora and fauna that make up this place and so many other places on the globe.
And I don’t mind that bears can make me a tiny bit wary. That’s their job.
And I still think so 