Don’t panic, and by all means don’t try to outrun them
A bear sits on the steps that lead in and out of your house. Sometimes when you leave the house, the bear climbs on your back and goes with you. Other times, he stays home and awaits your return. Sometimes he is sleeping and you can tiptoe past him so quietly that he doesn’t even know you are leaving. He can be mean and grouchy, but is frequently content and quiet. But you are always aware of the bear.
The bear is risk. The bear is debt. The bear is promises made that are not kept. The bear is the little white lie you tell your boss that resurfaces and needs some explaining. The bear is a dream that is never fulfilled. It may be a long-delayed meeting or discussion you hope will not be necessary. Maybe it is easier to say there are many kinds of bears.
Barely Manageable
Once you reach a certain age, there is no choice in the matter—there will be bears. As I aged, I became aware of the bears, but tried to ignore them. They don’t like to be ignored. Between childhood and adulthood, I tried to keep the bears at bay, but they got really mad. I needed to get a job. I needed to pay my bills. I needed to get on my own and prepare to meet the bears head-on, daily. I found I needed to develop a lot of good habits to prepare for my bear encounters.
