Notes From A Bear's Journey

      Remember those moments, that unexpected gift or that opening of the door and being greeted by a room full of friends?  And who doesn't love a good mystery or a movie with a surprise ending?  Of course, surprises can come at the wrong times as well: the end of a relationship, the car accident, the shooting.  My wife and I just finished watching the 4-epidode series, Little Boy Blue , a true story of an 11-year old caught in a cross fire between gangs in England.  And as you may know, the penalty for having an unregistered gun in the UK is quite severe (just getting a permit to own a gun there is rather difficult and, as with Canada, is usually reserved for hunting; police there --at least those who are armed-- are limited and are required by law to verbally yell "armed police" whenever entering any home or facility in a raid).  What was so surprising to us, however, was the outstanding acting by all parties, the believability they put in the characters to convey the

      Those were the 3 "Rs" I learned as a child, a memorization tool for what parents and society felt was something every child should be taught and should learn while in school.  The basics, it was called, and it was a good idea but a horrible way to "learn" spelling and grammar (jump forward half a century later and you may find yourself saying that same thing about STEM*).  Look up the 3 Rs today --a mnemonic which is still around (perhaps not in Florida)-- and you'll likely find all new definitions for the words...reasoning, relationship, resilience, reality.  They are all there and more, perhaps reflecting what today's society feels is needed more than any "school" education; all of which begs the question, what's important to you, now?   For me, it may well be the last "R," that of rest.   The foothills of Salt Lake City on April 1, 2023      There is much to think about around this time of year, everything from paying taxes t