There are only a few moments in your life that truly take your breath away…and coming face-to-face with a massive male Grizzly bear is certainly one of them. Imagine both my surprise and delight to meet this majestic creature, and then imagine the absolute fear and anxiety when the full magnitude of the situation settles in…the combination makes your body vibrate. Time seems to slow, escalating and compounding, everything almost stops…and, this is fascinating, as your senses overload some of them fall away. For me in this instance all external sounds evaporated except for my heart beat and the uncanny guttural huffs from my new friend…and as unsettling as this can be, it also focuses your attention to the matter at hand. It reminds you of your own mortality and incredible vulnerability…this is a moment to embrace and consume – but not one you should overindulge. Life and death meet here…respect this place…respect this creature…choices matter. In this moment you are more alive than you have ever been precisely because the next instance hangs in the balance. I honestly can’t recall the effort it took to take this picture and the absence of this event from my mind is telling – my complete vivid recollection has our eyes locked and unbroken for the whole exchange! Then like a film reel coming back to speed, sound returns and time accelerates as he released me from his gaze and sauntered away…it was a powerful and fortunate experience…and one I was happy to walk away from too. Thank you.
Photo taken at Orford River Estuary 2003 (Bute Inlet, BC).
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Lawrence Lewis
“In the end, it’s not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away.” – Shing Xiong
About Lawrence Lewis
I do a number of things professionally...but most of all and the true purpose of what I do through "my work" is to provide for my family, be a good husband and great father, and try to make a difference as a world citizen...I guess it's not much more complicated than that 🙂
It is just after six in the morning…dishes on its way, garbage brought out….waitng for the first cup of coffee. Even with ALL of those critical 🙂 first thing in the morning obligations – I read the “hey big boy…” story. I really enjoyed and with each line wanted to read more and more. I was taken to the same place, standing there with you….well the truth be known somewhat behind you and ready to push you forward if the beast lunged or sauntered forward! 🙂
I heard a nuuchahnulth woman many many years ago who said, if you encounter a bear, “smack two rocks together”….presumably that would hurt its ears! I looked at the photo and to ones’ dismay….”there were no rocks in sight!!!!” Remember that part of the Wizard of Oz when they started to fall asleep in the poppy fields and one of them started to yell, “Help! Help!”
wait! wait! is that bear smiling?
loved your story
Bill
ps I read it two more times…this time with coffee and it is still great!
Thanks for the wonderful comment Bill! So glad you enjoyed it and took the time to let me know – Very Much Appreciated 🙂
I could hear the huffing and smell the fear/exhilaration as I read your words. Thank you to Bear, for allowing Lawrence to live to tell the tale! I wonder what stories he had to share about meeting the two-legged with the big glass eye. 🙂
Lawrence, thank you for bringing us into this super-charged moment of your intense and life-affirming encounter with Bear.
Thank you Virginia for your kind comment! It was an experience I will never forget, and I am so pleased to share it with you 🙂