I recently read an article by the National Parks Service that talked about what to do if you’re attacked by a bear. I’ve only actually spotted a bear a couple of times in my life, but it’s one of those things that might be good to know for an improbable “is this really even my life” moment.
In the article, they said that most bears aren’t really interested in attacking you but in the off chance they become so, you should first try to de-escalate by doing the following:
Slowly walk away in a sideways direction
Talk normally to ensure the bear identifies you as human and not some other animal
Play dead by laying flat on your stomach with your arms and legs stretched out
Apparently the above works most of the time, but the article ended by stating that if the bear aggressively pursues and tries to attack you while playing dead you should try to fight back by punching it in the face. I immediately laughed out loud when I read that last suggestion - punch the bear in the face?! I’m not sure laughter was the National Parks Service’s anticipated response, but I think it struck me so hilariously because it feels insane to think that I could beat up a bear! I mean sure, I guess it’s better to at least fight back before you go; it’s just the audacity of thinking I could actually have a chance against such a large animal that felt ridiculous.
But you know, the more I think about it, I can’t help but wonder how often we echo that same thing in response to the real monsters in our lives. With the real monsters of hate and shame and discrimination - how often do we get stuck in a loop of de-escalation only to find ourselves stuck playing dead on the ground?
Honestly, I can’t even count the number of times I’ve waited in quiet acceptance as the monsters have stepped on my or others’ necks. The terrible danger in that is that after you’ve allowed the monsters to circle above long enough, you start to believe the illusion - that you’re already really dead.
We are currently living in a pressure cooker - as individuals, as families, as communities and as a country. We are being pushed on every side and the heat is only ever increasing. The monsters have come out in full force and they are attacking:
Our black community
Our LGBTQ community
Our relationships
Our women
Our children
Our men
Our poor
Our elders
Our communication
Our human rights
Our bodies
Our love for one another
This is nothing new under the sun, but what IS new is our opportunity each day to choose how we will respond. So we, my friends, have a choice to make:
We can step to the side and lie dormant, waiting in quiet hope that the rage above will pass by our lifeless bodies or... We can punch the bear in the fucking face.
We can lay down our own arrogance to bridge the gap with another.
We can say no to shame and embrace the wholeness of ourselves.
We can stand-up for the oppressed.
We can give to those in need.
We can, for god’s sake, stop talking about aisles and just get rid of all the chairs.
We can advocate.
We can educate.
We can get to know someone different than us.
We can punch the bear.
Whether it’s in ourselves, our families or in our greater communities, don’t be deceived into complacency - you aren’t really dead.